The condition of Abdulkadir Kuday, who is being held in Metris Type R Prison No 2, who is suffering from ALS (fatal muscle and nerve disease) and has not been released despite medical board reports, is deteriorating day by day. 

 

Abdulkadir Kuday (52), who was arrested in Qoser (Kızıltepe) district of Mêrdîn (Mardin) and was first put in Mardin Type E Closed Prison and then transferred to Tekirdağ Type T Closed Prison, was first diagnosed with a herniated disc at the hospital he was transferred to in 2021 after 4 years as a result of public pressure. However, Kuday was referred to the hospital again after his pain increased, and as a result of the tests, it was determined that he had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Kuday, who became paralyzed and unable to walk, dropped to 41 kilograms during this time. On December 1, 2021, Kuday was referred to Tekirdağ Dr. İsmail Fehmi Cumalıoğlu City Hospital and the hospital gave a report stating that Kuday “cannot sustain his life in prison”. However, a report was prepared stating that Kuday could be kept in R (Rehabilitation) Type Prison, and he was transferred to Metris Type R Prison No 2 on January 12, 2022. 

 

In Metris Type R Closed Prison, Kuday was kept in the same ward with Ergin Aktaş, who is missing both hands, and Serdal Yıldırım, who is 98 percent disabled and wheelchair-bound. Serdal Yıldırım, a seriously ill prisoner, was released “conditionally” on August 19. After Yıldırım's release, Kuday was taken to Başakşehir Çam and Sakura Hospital on August 20 after his condition worsened. Kuday, who refused to be released despite his illness and refused treatment, was taken back to prison. 

 

KUDAY'S REQUEST

 

According to the information given by Yıldırım; Kuday, whose disease is progressing, is unable to sit and eat.  Yıldırım stated that Kuday is living his last days and is unable to speak anymore, and that Kuday expressed his wish as, “I want to spend my last days with my family among my children”. Pointing out that Kuday can only last 3-4 months at most under the current conditions, Yıldırım demanded that he be released as soon as possible.  

 

'HE CHOSEN AS A VICTIM'

 

Kuday's older brother Salih Kuday stated that his brother was detained and arrested on October 8, 2014 on the allegations that he was involved in the killing of 2 ISIS members during the Kobanê protests. Kuday stated that his brother was sentenced to life imprisonment despite the fact that both witnesses and HTS records revealed that the family was at a condolence service for a relative who died in Qûbîk village on the day of the incident. Kuday said that his brother was a well-known person in Qoser who was interested in construction works. Noting that his brother was chosen as a “victim” because of his family's defense of the Kurdish freedom struggle despite the evidence, “For nearly 6 years, a secret isolation was imposed on Abdulkadir. He could not send letters, and the letters we sent were not received. He was not taken to the infirmary. After 6 years, with the intervention of non-governmental organizations such as İHD and ÖHD, he could be transferred to a hospital” Kuday said. 

 

'HE CANNOT BREATHE'

 

Emphasizing that his brother's illness worsened as a result of a misdiagnosis and that he could only be transferred to Metris Type R Prison as a result of efforts, Kuday underlined that Abdulkadir Kuday is currently unable to sustain his own life. Stating that his brother's life is in great danger, Kuday said: “He has been transferred to hospital several times before. Once he had a heart attack. They took him to the hospital with a delay. They wanted him to die. Since he had participated in hunger strike protests before, he also had stomach problems. He also had heart problems. Now he cannot even breathe. He lives connected to a device.” 

 

'THEY WANT REVENGE FOR ISIS'

 

Kuday said that his brother refused treatment due to what he had been through and was taken back to prison, noting that his detention continued despite the ATK's report that he “cannot stay in prison” twice, and said: “We met with the Ministry of Justice as a family. They said they would look into it. But they did nothing. He was not released. As a justification for this, the lawyers were told that 'he will become a suicide bomber if he is released'. This is a completely hostile approach. We wonder how a person who cannot use his hands and feet, who cannot move from his place, can become a suicide bomber. They are not releasing him saying 'he is dangerous for public security'. But we know that they want revenge for ISIS. They want to punish both the family and him.” 

  

'NOT BEING RELEASED BECAUSE HE IS KURDISH'

 

Stating that they are behind his brother's stance and decision, Kuday continued as follows: “No family would want such a serious relative to refuse treatment. But we understand him too. He has not compromised his honor until today. The government also wants him to compromise his honor and he has not allowed this until today. Maybe as a family we reluctantly support his decision to refuse treatment, but we still think he made the right decision. We know that Abdulkadir's life is not very long. Today or tomorrow, we may get a phone call and we will be informed that he has fallen martyr. But we still want him to be among his family, to be with his children, to breathe his last breath next to his family, even if it is just for a day or two. But if not, we will not bow down or kneel down for that. We are not making a request from anyone. We think of it as a human right. Just as they released pashas and generals on these grounds, Abdulkadir's reasons are a hundred times more than those of those pashas. We want the law that applies to others to also apply to Abdulkadir and others. But we know that Abdulkadir is not being released because he is Kurdish.” 

 

MA / Ahmet Kanbal