Jailed columnist Murat Ağırel: It is torture, I will not consent to this

* Photo: Yeniçağ newspaper

Click to read the article in Turkish

Arrested pending trial for allegedly having disclosed the identity of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer who was killed in Libya, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel was taken to the sickroom of the prison for his dental treatment, rather than being referred to a hospital.

Suffering from severe tooth pain for some time, Murat Ağırel was held in a detention room there for over five hours. He was referred to hospital afterwards; however, he sent a letter from Silivri Prison, stating that he did not want to be treated and what was done to him was torture.

Attorney Hüseyin Ersöz previously announced that journalists including Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan and Murat Ağırel were not taken to see a doctor or to the sickroom despite their petitions.

In his letter addressed to his attorney Celal Ülgen, Murat Ağırel recounted what he went through briefly as follows:

'It was as if I was punished'

"To be able to undergo a 10-minute medical examination, I was kept waiting for 5.5 hours in a detention room where COVID-19 and KOAH patients and prisoners with broken ribs and amputated arms were also constantly circulating. It was as if I was punished in the detention room of the place reminiscent of a hospital where I came in handcuffs. I was told, 'We have referred you, behave yourself.' I objected to this treatment.

"When I said that I did not want to be treated any longer and told them to take me back to my ward, I was referred to Başakşehir Hospital. I said, 'I don't want it.' They made me write a petition. The warden said, 'Man, don't get us into trouble.' I told them that I did not want to be referred to, I said that I wanted to leave the detention room as soon as possible.

"Then, they wanted me to write another petition. I wrote another petition. This time, they referred me to the Okmeydanı Hospital. For hours, I said, 'Let me out of this detention room.' At last, I said, 'Down with you hospital and referral.' I could hardly get back to prison.

"I was held in a detention room for five hours and a half. It will not be any different in Okmeydanı Hospital, either. A human cannot be examined like that. It is cruelty. It is a torture. I will not consent to this."

His attorney has convinced Ağırel

Having refused to be treated due to what he went through, Ağırel has been convinced by his attorneys. Sharing a message on his Twitter account, attorney Celal Ülgen has said, "We have convinced Murat Ağırel to be treated as of 1.30 a.m. He will be referred to Okmeydanı Hospital tomorrow." (HA/SD)