Abdulkerim Erdem, held in Diyarbakır Prison, has experienced a progressive deterioration in his health condition. Despite suffering from both skin and stomach cancer, the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) issued reports stating that he was fit to remain in prison. Erdem, who has a pacemaker, underwent stomach surgery while in detention in 2016. Following this, he was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent another operation. Despite citing these serious health conditions, his requests for release were rejected. As his health continued to worsen in prison, his son, who is also his lawyer, has been trying to raise awareness about his situation. In addition, although less than one year remains until the completion of his sentence, he has not been released. The Prison Administration and Observation Board blocked his release, citing that he was staying in a “non-neutral ward” (referred to as a “partisan ward”) as the reason for denying his release.