Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13573 | 04 July 2014

The fate of critically ill prisoners in Turkish prisons

Signatories: Mr Nazmi GÜR, Turkey, UEL ; Ms Sirkka-Liisa ANTTILA, Finland, ALDE ; Ms Mülkiye BİRTANE, Turkey, UEL ; Ms Nunzia CATALFO, Italy, NR ; Mr Manlio DI STEFANO, Italy, NR ; Mr Ioannis DRAGASAKIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Tuur ELZINGA, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Mr Ögmundur JÓNASSON, Iceland, UEL ; Ms Vasiliki KATRIVANOU, Greece, UEL ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Athina KYRIAKIDOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr George LOUKAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Mr Grigore PETRENCO, Republic of Moldova, UEL ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Vincenzo SANTANGELO, Italy, NR ; Ms Maria Edera SPADONI, Italy, NR ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Olga-Nantia VALAVANI, Greece, UEL ; Mr Snorre Serigstad VALEN, Norway, UEL ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly notes that there are 544 critically ill prisoners in Turkish prisons. Among these, there are people battling with cancer, paralysis and heavily disabled people who are unable to look after themselves. 163 of the above-mentioned 544 people are now in the final stages of their illnesses. According to figures given by the Minister for Justice of Turkey, 2304 prisoners have died in prison in the last 13 years.

A recent legislative change has further reduced the chances for ill prisoners to be released. Moreover, prisoners convicted under the controversial “Anti-Terror Legislation”, including numerous journalists, politicians and intellectuals, have no chance at all of being released, even when they suffer from severe health problems. According to this legislation, such prisoners can be labelled a threat to public security, which prevents their release all together.

The abusive imprisonment of critically ill persons violates the “Right to life” and the “Prohibition of Torture” articles of the “European Convention of Human Rights”. The inhuman conditions in many Turkish prisons must be improved and the related law changed so as to enable all critically ill prisoners to be released. The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Turkey in many related cases. These judgments must finally give rise to real change.

The Assembly therefore resolves to follow the situation of the critically ill prisoners in Turkey with a view to their release, so that they may die, if not live, as free persons in the company of their loved ones.