Former political convict Güler Zere, who suffered of last stage cancer, passed away on 7 May. After a long struggle, during which Zere's medical treatment remained insufficient, she was finally released from prison on 6 November 2009 upon a pardon granted by President Abdullah Gül.

Lawyer Oya Aslan had announced on 15 April that the growth of the cancer could not be inhibited any further and that Zere's situation had considerably worsened.

Neglected for months and months

Zere had received a prison sentence of 34 years, charged with membership of the Revolutionary People's Front Party. She fell ill with cancer in the Elbistan Prison in the south-eastern province of Kahramanmaraş after she had served 14 years of her sentence. Palatal tumors were confirmed in November 2008. She was transferred to the convicts infirmary of the Balcalı Hospital in June 2009. The prosecution found the reports issued by the hospital and Çukurova University insufficient and requested a report from the Forensic Medicine Institute, which was issued in November 2009.

Zere was among four convicts who were released on 6 November 2009 upon the pardon granted by President Gül.

File at the ECHR

Zere's lawyers applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) one year ago in order to affect her release and because of a violation of the ban of torture. During the court's preliminary investigation of the file, Turkey announced that Zere was released upon the granted pardon. The case file still remains at the ECHR. (SP/TK/VK)

* Picture: Ali Öz