SÊRT - Seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Emin Çam, who underwent angioplasty after a heart attack, was found to have a brain tumor and cysts in his kidneys, is not being given his medication. His daughter Şimal Çam stated that her father is being dragged to death. 

 

Ill prisoners in prisons are left to die. Mehmet Emin Çam, 72, who is being held in Batman Beşiri Type T Closed Prison and is on the list of seriously ill prisoners of the Human Rights Association (İHD), is not given his medication.

 

On May 24, Çam had a heart attack and underwent angioplasty at Batman Regional Hospital. On May 27, Çam was taken to prison again. He was arrested on December 12, 2012 on the allegations of “KCK City Assembly structure” when he was Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Sêrt (Siirt) provincial chair. After 10 months, Çam was released to stand trial without arrest, but Siirt Heavy Penal Court sentenced him to 9 years for “membership in an illegal organization”. Çam was arrested on March 14, 2022 after the sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation and was kept in solitary confinement for 17 days in Batman Type M Closed Prison.

 

MUST TAKE MEDICATION FOR LIFE 

 

On April 1, Çam was transferred to Beşiri Type T Closed Prison and was found to have a brain tumor. On May 27, Çam had a heart attack and underwent an angioplasty and has to take medication for life. Çam, who also has kidney disease, underwent kidney surgery twice. Despite this, the cysts in his kidneys reoccur. Çam, who also underwent cataract surgery, has myopia and astigmatism in his eyes. Çam, who has also lost his hearing in his right ear, has difficulty walking due to paralysis on his left side. 

 

'THEY ARE BEING DRAGGED TO DEATH'

 

Çam's daughter Şimel Çam, who went to Çam's closed visit, said that her father was being dragged to death. Emphasizing that the situation of ill prisoners is getting worse every day, Çam said: “What is being inflicted on ill prisoners is torture. My father's condition was very bad when I went to see him. He stated that he was not given the medication he needed to take. My father recently had a heart attack and underwent angioplasty. Due to his heart condition and brain tumor, he is constantly taking medication. These vital medications are not given to my father. Every time he goes to the infirmary, he is told that they are not available and sent to the ward without being given them. Since he is not taking his medication, there is a risk of losing his life every hour. Every minute is working against my father. We want my father to be given his medication immediately.” 

 

'A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY IS BEING COMMITTED'

 

Drawing attention to the role of the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) and hospitals in the situation of sick prisoners, Çam continued as follows: “Dilan Polat, who committed many crimes, was released. Mafia members, drug dealers, murderers of women and similar crimes are released. But the seriously ill and elderly are not released.  All applications to the ATK remain inconclusive. In the previous application made for my father, Batman Regional Research Hospital gave the report 'He can stay in prison'. While keeping sick prisoners in prison is an unlawful act in itself, the decisions taken by both the ATK and the hospital cause these unlawful acts to increase. This process is a crime against humanity.”