Ill prisoner denied medical care and held in solitary confinement before death in custody

2022-02-01 15:48:25


	 

	HAKKARİ - Uzan Tokay who were held in the same quarantine ward with Ramazan Turan who died in a cell where he was held for 22 days, told that Turan did not die on his own accord and said: "It was a murder. He was taken to the hospital 13 hours after he got worse."

	 

	70-year-old Ramazan Turan who was held 22 days in a quarantine ward in Van High Security Prison, lost his life in the hospital on January 21. Turan who allegedly lost his life as a result of a heart attack, was laid to rest in Hakkari after several attempts of obstruction by the police.   

	 

	Uzan Tokay who was held with Turan for 17 days in the quarantine ward told Mesopotamia Agency (MA) in a letter about the negligence that caused Turan his life and said it was not a normal death but a homicide. 

	 

	'HE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO HIS BASIC NEEDS'

	 

	Stating that Turan was put in a cell alone when he came back from the hospital, Tokay said he was writing this letter to shed a light on a situation as a human being. Stating that what happened was not simply a death caused by a heart attack, Tokay said: "This was a murder. I was being held in the same quarantine ward after I came back from the hospital. He was there alone when I got there. He wasn't even given his basic needs. We were held there until January 20, the day before his death."

	 

	'GUARDS DID NOT TAKE HIM TO A DOCTOR NO MATTER WHAT I DID'

	 

	Stating that Turan was not feeling well that day, Tokay said: "He told me he wasn't feeling well when he woke up. I pressed the button to call the guardians but they stalled us. I pressed that button 5 times, they didn't show up. The prison doctor came after noon but he just took a look from the observation port and left. He said he would check him up the other day. I told him he couldn't eat or drink. They said there was nothing they could do. I insisted that he should be taken to a hospital. But they didn't take him to a hopsital."

	 

	HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL 13 HOURS LATER

	 

	Stating that the guards came as a result of his insistance, Turan said: "They came around 20.00. They told him that they will test him for Covid the next day and he should hold on.  I insistently explained the urgency of the situation. They said they wouldn't take him back to our cell and put him in another cell alone if they took him to a hospital. Turan told that he wants to be taken to a hospital and they could take him anywhere after that. They left the ward and came back around 20.30. But Turan was not able to walk. They brought a wheelchair and took him to the hospital. They took him to the hospital 13 hours after we informed them that he wasn't feeling well."

	 

	THEY CAME BACK AN HOUR LATER

	 

	Pointing out that the guards came back an hour later, Tokay said: "They told me that they were going to move him to another ward and told me to pack his stuff. I did but they came back the next day to get his stuff. I asked about him but they told me he was admitted to the hospital. Later we learned that he had lost his life."

	 

	THIS IS A MURDER

	 

	Underlining that he gave his statement to the prison administration, Tokay wrote the following in his letter: "I wrote that this was negliegence and murder in my statement. I asked why they took him to the hospital too late. They will probably deny it but they have the security footage of the corridor on January 20.  An impartial and fair investigation should be conducted on this issue. I believe that the public will also show the necessary sensitivity. My condolences to the family and loved ones of our friend. I will do my best to ensure justice is served. Those responsible must be exposed and punsihed."

	 

	 

	MA / Mazlum Engindeniz