Human Rights in Turkey
Critically Ill Prisoners in Turkish Prisons – Emre Uysal

Profile

VICTIM : Emre Uysal
INCIDENT : A prisoner suffering from severe psychological disorders is not being released despite facing a life-threatening health condition.
LOCATION : Sakarya, Turkey
SITUATION : Sentenced to 10 years in prison on alleged affiliation with the Gülen movement.

Case Summary

Emre Uysal, who is being held in Sakarya Prison, was dismissed by decree (KHK) from his position as an academic at Anadolu University and was arrested on December 13, 2017. During the early period of his imprisonment, Uysal suffered two epileptic seizures and lost consciousness because he could not access his regular medication. During this period, the device he used for the treatment of sleep apnea was not provided at first, and later he was unable to use it during times when there was no generator in the prison. During power outages, he faced a risk of dying in his sleep. In addition to epilepsy and sleep apnea, Uysal was also diagnosed with severe depression. In letters he sent to his wife, he stated that his psychological condition had been steadily deteriorating, that the distinction between dreams and reality had begun to disappear, and that he was experiencing nightmare-like hallucinations. One of the psychological symptoms he mentioned in his letter was that he had begun to imagine harming other prisoners in his ward. Following these developments, the prison psychologist wrote a note in his medical file stating that he “may harm himself and others” and requested that he be urgently referred to the psychiatry department. Uysal has repeatedly written to his wife saying, “I will not get out of here; I will leave here dead.” Despite all these circumstances, Uysal has not been released. The prison prosecutor requested the renewal of the most recent medical report, which had stated that he “can remain in prison.” His family and relatives are seriously concerned about his life. DEM Party MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu also brought Uysal’s situation to public attention.

Souce

Contact

Sakarya No.2 Type T Closed Penal Institution

Phone: 0 264 781 20 71

Mail: sakarya.2nltkcik@adalet.gov.tr 

General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses

Phone: (0312) 507 04 00 – (0312) 507 04 01

Mail: cte@adalet.gov.tr 

Ministry of Justice – Republic of Türkiye

Phone: +90 (0312) 417 77 70

Mail: info@adalet.gov.tr

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