Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) former co-chair of Hozat District of Dersim province, Deniz Yıldırım (48) with suspected COVID-19 was taken to Fethi Sekin City Hospital on June 23 from Elazığ No.1 High Security Prison, where he has been imprisoned for 5 years. 

 

The treatment of Yıldırım, whose corona test turned out to be positive, continues in the hospital. Yıldırım, who also has colon cancer, had a surgical operation, as part of his recovery period his bowels are outside his body. Yıldırım struggles to survive under these circumstances in prison. Yıldırım received chemotherapy treatment during this process, but was left alone in a room for quarantine, although he can not live on his own and needs someone to care for him. Yıldırım's applications for release are not given any positive response despite vital risk. A petition was launched by his family on “www.change.org” in order to draw attention to the situation of Yıldırım. Deniz Yıldırım's wife Birsen Yıldırım said that her husband's weight fell from 85 to 65 kg.

 

LEFT TO DIE IN PRISON 

 

"On the day of our weekly phone call he did not call. When we called the prison to ask what has been going on, they said he would call in the afternoon. But when my husband did not call again, we called one more time. This time, nobody answered", said Yıldırım as she told their story of how they were not informed regarding her husband's health condition by the prison. Yıldırım continued, "We have heard it from someone else that he was diagnosed with coronavirus. Now my husband stands face to face with death. (Coronavirus is) a huge risk for seriously ill prisoners, I am speaking on behalf of all the ill prisoners as I speak about Deniz. There are many sick prisoners in prison. All of them have to be released. This is a conscientious and moral necessity. People cannot be left to die in prison."

 

NO NUTRITION OR PROTECTION

 

Stating that she can not receive news of her husband Yıldırım expressed, "We found it out that he had a surgery three days after the surgery. We haven't been able to receive news of him since he was diagnosed virus. Each small piece of information we learn by our own efforts. Our lawyer is not informed as well, he wants to meet with the prosecutor, but the prosecutor is absent. My husband is on the edge of death.I can hear his news of death at any moment. His immune system has already weakened because of the surgery. The immune system must be very strong to overcome this disease. There is no nutrition or protection in prison conditions. Especially seriously ill prisoners need care and nutrition. We were even willing to be under house arrest when we applied for his release, but what we got as an immediate response was rejection."

 

'LET DENİZ YILDIRIM FREE'

 

Reminding that her husband Deniz Yıldırım was arrested on the grounds of a testimony, which an 15-year-old youngster was forced to sign and then was withdrawn by the same youngster, Yıldırım said, "They ignored the boy in the court even though he kept saying that hat he did not sign the testimony by his own will, but he was under pressure. A person is officially left to die by the hands of the state. Rapists and killers have been released. As a matter of fact those who were released were arrested again by committing the same crimes. So what is the crime of these people like my husband? No evidence, no grounds, no real accusation."

 

Addressing the public opinion, the Ministry of Justice and the Presidency, Yıldırım called out for the release of the prisoners before no death is experienced in prisons.

 

MA / Ayşe Sürme