Sick Inmate Çelik Dies in Hospital

Abdulsamet Çelik, a sick inmate who has served 21 years of prison sentence and been released due to his grave condition, lost his life in the western province of Izmir. 

Human Rights Association (IHD) announced that Çelik died of leukemia on Tuesday in a university hospital after being released on June 26, 2013. 

IHD also added that he had been kept in jail from 2006 to 2013. It was said that his treatment was blocked by authorities. 

“Çelik died because his treatment was delayed and his right to life was violated.”

İHD officials recommended the following measures to be taken immediately: general health control in all prisons, permission to NGOs delegations to run routine check-ups, release of all sick inmates.  

According to the latest statistics from IHD, there are 544 sick inmates across Turkey’s prisons with 162 in grave condition. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.