Inmate with severe disabilities found dead in Turkish prison

A 26-year-old man with severe cognitive disabilities, Oğuzhan Gürbüzer, was found dead in his prison cell in the Black Sea province of Samsun, the daily Sözcü reported on March 31. The man reportedly had the cognitive abilities of a six-year-old and was coerced into stealing cellphones.

Wednesday March 31 2021 03:00 pm

Duvar English

A 26-year-old man with severe cognitive disabilities, Oğuzhan Gürbüzer was found dead in a prison cell in the Black Sea province of Samsun as his legal team awaited a ruling for a petition to delay his serving his sentence, the daily Sözcü reported on March 31.

Gürbüzer, who reportedly had the cognitive abilities of a six-year-old, had a special interest in cellphones and was coerced into stealing two cellphones in 2015. He was sentenced to three years and five months in prison despite a forensic report that said he was unable to understand the consequences of his behavior.

The inmate stole another cellphone in 2016 because he needed money, he told police, receiving an additional four years and two months in prison.

Gürbüzer was most recently prosecuted for stealing another phone in 2018, receiving an additional 16 months in prison that brought his total conviction to nine years.

Gürbüzer was receiving treatment at the Samsun Psychiatric Hospital when he was found dead in his prison cell.

The young man's attorney said that they had been trying to get the courts to delay his sentence, but were sidetracked when all three of his sentences were issued consecutively.