Turkey's parliamentary human rights committee rejects petition to release 85-year-old sick prisoner

Turkey's parliamentary human rights committee refused a petition for the release of 85-year-old prisoner Abdulalim Kaya, who also suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney failure. The committee turned down the petition on the grounds that his release was outside the scope of their authority.

Wednesday December 09 2020 04:00 pm

Hacı Bişkin / DUVAR

Turkey's parliamentary human rights committee turned down a petition for the release of 85-year-old Abdulalim Kaya from prison on the grounds that such decisions regarding his incarceration fell outside the scope of their authority.

Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit noted in parliament that Kaya suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney failure, all ailments that put him at a high risk of contracting COVID-19.

"The numerous medications he needs to be taking haven’t been admitted into the prison because of various excuses," Koçyiğit said, adding that Kaya has been kept in a solitary cell since Oct. 14.

“You petition for a delay of sentence falls outside our authority," the parliamentary committee stated in their ruling.

The parliamentary committee also refused a petition by Koçyiğit for the release of Mehmet Yamaç who's been in prison for 25 years and suffers from severe injures inflicted by Turkish security forces back in 2000.

Topics Prisoners in Turkey HDP Turkey Turkish Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit