Vefa Kartal was among the list of "heavily ill prisoners" of the Prisons' Commision of Human Rights Association (IHD). As Kartal lost his life in Edirne Type F Prison, the family of him came to the prison to take the deceased body of their beloved family member. However it is learned that the deceased body of KArtal has not yet been handed to his waiting family.

 

Having been in prison for 26 years for aggravated life imprisonment, Kartal had rhythm disturbance in his heart, 3 masses constantly growing in his brain, hepatitis B, gastric hernia, high blood pressure, intestinal spasm, lubrication in the left part of the chest, cyst, hemorrhoid, ulcer, reflux, bronchitis, kidney and urinary diseases as well.

 

Due to these diseases, all of the applications by İHD in the regardgin the release of Kartal remained inconclusive. Kartal started a hunger strike on August 18, 2017, when he was in Izmir Kırıklar No. 1 Type F Closed Prison, demanding treatment, better prison conditions and the the pressures on him to end. Kartal, who took a break on the 114th day of the hunger strike action, then turned the hunger strike action into a death fast in line with the same demands.

 

Kartal, who started also a death fast on July 5, 2018 in Tekirdağ F-Type Prison as well demanding again to have medical threatment and the conditions of the prison to get better. AsKartal ended his action on the 96th day as a result of the attempts regarding his demands and received medicla threatment. He was brought to Edirne Type F Prison after this last threatment he had as a result of his death fast.