HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION:

Lawyer Ahmet Fazıl Taner from the Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch demanded the urgent release of Abdullah Akçay for a marrow transplantation. Akçay was transferred to the Silivri Prison west of Istanbul after his 18^th birthday. He is ill with blood cancer.

Akçay fell sick two years after he was detained in the Maltepe Children Prison and was transferred to Silivri this May. He currently stays at the convicts ward of the SSK Hospital (Social Security Institution) in Okmeydanı, a district on Istanbul's European side since his health condition worsened. However, his treatment is delayed for bureaucratic reasons.

Transfer to the Forensic Medicine was delayed for too long

A medical report about Akçay issued on 25 June by the Okmeydanı SSK Hospital said that "his condition has worsened, he does not respond to the treatment, he is in a critical condition".

Thereupon, lawyer Taner reiterated his application to the Forensic Medicine Institution, which had issued a report that "the hospital conditions were sufficient" on 21 May. Taner appreciated the fact that Akçay was finally transferred to the 3^rd Specialization Chamber of the Forensic Medicine Institute on Monday (5 July).

"We demand Akçay's immediate release"

Taner requested to suspend his client's sentence. The lawyer reminded the fact that they had been waiting for a medical report since February and that they had lost several months before the procedures related to the first report had been started.

"We as the İHD are actually waiting for a wonder to happen. We think that no bureaucratic procedure or mechanism should jeopardize a person's life or be the reason for such a violation. We demand to release Akçay immediately".

"Not responding to the treatment"

Taner pointed out that Akçay's condition has worsened rapidly after the examination by the Forensic Medicine Institute on 21 May. He implied that it might be too late even if the coming period of time would be used efficiently:

"Abdullah Akçay does not respond to the treatment. If the past time would have been used efficiently, there would have been hope for the treatment. But now the doctors say that his chances are 1:1,000. But his family and the İHD hope for a wonder to happen. We want him to spend his last days with his family".

The İHD Istanbul Branch had organized a call for urgent action for Akçay. The İHD wanted to write letters to President Abdullah Gül, Deputy PM and Human Rights Minister Cemil Çiçek and Minister of the Interior Beşir Atalay. (EÖ/VK)