DİYARBAKIR - Ahmet Özkan, accompanying his ill prisoner father, Mehmet Emin Özkan, who was released the other day, stated that his father is in isolation and is confined to a wheelchair.

 

Seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Emin Özkan, who is included in the list of ill prisoners of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and in the report of the families "prisoners who need to be released urgently during the Justice Watch", despite the hospital's report "He cannot be held in prison", the Forensic Medicine Institute ( ATK) are not evacuated with their reports. After the "Cannot be held in prison" report given by Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital in Amed in 2015, Özkan's release was prevented by the ATK even though the hospital gave the same report once again in 8 years. Many bar associations, especially his lawyers, made numerous applications to the ATK for Özkan. However, these applications were rejected one by one.

 

Ahmet Özkan, who has been accompanying his father for the last 5 years, was released from Diyarbakır High Prison No. 1 on April 25 after completing 12 years and 8 months of his sentence. Özkan, who had to leave his father in prison, is worried about Mehmet Emin Özkan's health condition, which is getting worse day by day.

 

Özkan, who is held responsible for the assassination of Brigadier General Bahtiyar Aydın in 1993 in the Lice (Lice) district of Amed, was arrested in 1996. Özkan, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in line with the statements given by 2 confessors but later retracted stating that he was forced to sign under torture, said that "violation of the right to a fair trial" due to the presence of military members in the proceedings before the State Security Courts (DGM) of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The retrial continued in 2014.

 

 ATK PREVENTS THE RELEASE OF ÖZKAN

 

Özkan, who had angiography 4 times in prison, has health problems such as blood pressure, toxic goiter, osteoporosis, kidney and intestinal diseases, extreme weight loss, hearing and vision. According to the Ombudsman's report published in May 2022; Özkan was taken to the prison infirmary 302 times and to the hospital 374 times.

 

Ahmet Özkan, who was released, spoke to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) about the health status of his father, whom he had accompanied for years. Özkan stated that his father was held in prison despite his illness because he was a political prisoner, and that despite all the efforts of both the MPs, rights defenders and non-governmental organizations, they could not get any results.

 

Özkan, who asked to be transferred from Bandırma Prison to the prison in Amed, in order to accompany his father during his detention, said: “He has hypertension. My father had angiography 5 times so far. A report of 'he cannot be held in prison' was given in Diyarbakır Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital, where he received treatment in 2015; however, ATK gave the exact opposite of the report given by the hospital, and his release was prevented by saying that he could stay in prison. We have applied to the ATK at least 5 times so far for the postponement of his sentence due to his illnesses, and each time a decision of rejection has been given."

 

ÖZKAN LIVES BEDRIDDEN

 

Stating that his father was tied to a bed and said that he could not meet his basic needs on his own. Özkan said: “He can neither write nor read. He can watch TV for 10-15 minutes. Because his eyes don't see well. My father's ears can't hear, so we can't communicate. My father lives a life of isolation, he is confined to a wheelchair. The prison is full of cameras, and when we come to the meeting, go to the phone or go out for sports and social activities, these cameras record how serious the situation is. How does ATK come to the conclusion that he can 'stay in prison' for my father! ATK's decision about my father is unrealistic, if they want the truth, they should look at the footage."

 

Reminding the report of the ATK that he could stay in prison for the ill prisoner Halil Güneş, who died in prison, Özkan said: “But Güneş lost his life. Güneş was known to be seriously ill. He had a serious operation and then died.”

 

DOUBLE STANDARD FOR ILL PRISONERS

 

Condemning the prevention of the release of ill prisoners, Özkan said: “It is said that my father will run away when he goes out, but how can an 84-year-old person with illnesses escape? Or, when he is not released by making excuses to give morale to the people. Is such an approach possible? They are truly tragicomic decisions. Judicial crimes, Hezbollahists and other criminal organizations are released, but they are not released when the political prisoner is in question because their approach is ideological. If it wasn't ideological, my father and ill prisoners like him would have been released."