Application to Human Rights Investigation Commission for Ill Prisoner Sise Bingöl

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş, who is also a member to the Human Rights Investigation Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), has brought the condition of 85-year-old ill prisoner Sise Bingöl to the agenda of the commission.

While the medical report prepared by the 3rd Specialized Board of İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institute claimed that "Bingöl is making an effort to make her medical condition look worse than it actually is," another report by the Medical Research and Application Center of Mersin University indicated that it will be life-threatening for Bingöl if she continues staying in prison.

CLICK - 85-Year-Old Ill Prisoner on Parliamentary Agenda

Being detained and arrested along with her son Zafer Bingöl on April 6, 2016, 85-year-old Sise Bingöl was released from prison due to her health problems on June 23, 2016. However, in the hearing that was held afterwards, Bingöl was sentenced to 4 years, 2 months in prison "for knowingly and willingly aiding and abetting a terrorist organization."

Sise Bingöl, who has been behind bars for the last two years, is bedridden and has various serious health problems related to her stomach as well as diabetes, asthma and blood pressure.

Bingöl also had a heart attack one month before she was sent to prison and her treatment was interrupted due to her prison sentence.

Sise Bingöl is currently held in Tarsus Type T Women's Prison.

"She cannot differentiate night from day"

In the petition submitted to the Human Rights Investigation Commission of the parliament, it was emphasized that the report prepared by the İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institute was taken as a basis instead of the one issued by Mersin University. The petition has further stated:

"In the report prepared by Mersin University on November 2, 2018, it was indicated that Sise Bingöl 'does not even know her age, not remember what she ate the other day, not know what month or year it is or the names of her fellow inmates and cannot differentiate night from the day.'

"This report was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute on November 19. However, in the report of the Institute, it was claimed, 'Bingöl was making an effort to make her medical condition look worse than it actually is'."

In the application, the commission was demanded to investigate the condition of Sise Bingöl and take the necessary measures. (AS/SD)