Press Release
Urgent Action: Death in Custody of 72-Year-Old Political Prisoner in Turkey
Date: September 2025
Issued by: Human Rights Defenders e.V
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A Preventable Death in Prison
On 7 September 2025, Ibrahim Güngör, a 72-year-old political prisoner suffering from Alzheimer’s, diabetes, prostate illness, and complications from brain surgery, died in Turkish custody.
• He had undergone brain surgery in 2022 for hydrocephalus and had a shunt placed.
• He no longer recognized his own daughter during prison visits.
• Despite clear evidence he could not survive detention, the Forensic Medicine Institute declared him “fit for prison.”
Mr. Güngör had been re-arrested in December 2024 after the Court of Cassation upheld his sentence. His death is the direct result of the authorities’ refusal to release him despite overwhelming medical grounds.
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Violations of International Standards
• Right to Life & Dignity (UDHR, Art. 3): Turkey failed its duty to protect his life.
• Ban on Torture (ECHR, Art. 3; UN CAT): Forcing a severely ill Alzheimer’s patient to remain imprisoned constitutes torture by neglect.
• Mandela Rules (109–110): Prisoners with serious illness must be released.
• Medical Ethics & Istanbul Protocol: Declaring him “fit for prison” contravenes international medical ethics.
• Right to Health (ICESCR, Art. 12): Denial of adequate care leading to death is a grave violation.
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Part of a Systemic Pattern
Mr. Güngör’s case is not isolated.
• Dozens of elderly and gravely ill prisoners in Turkey remain jailed with advanced cancer, dementia, heart disease, or paralysis.
• NGOs and lawyers report that the Forensic Medicine Institute systematically blocks release even in terminal cases.
• UN and Council of Europe bodies have documented chronic medical neglect in Turkish prisons.
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Call to Action
Human Rights Defenders e.V calls on:
1. International institutions and governments to condemn Mr. Güngör’s death as a rights violation.
2. Turkey to immediately release all terminally ill prisoners in line with the Mandela Rules.
3. UN and CPT to establish independent medical monitoring of Turkish prisons.
4. U.S. Congress and UN Human Rights Council to raise this case at the highest levels.
5. Civil society to support organizations documenting torture and medical neglect in Turkey.
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Statement
“The death of Ibrahim Güngör shows how Turkish authorities weaponize prison conditions against political detainees. This is torture by neglect. Justice for Mr. Güngör means urgent action for all sick prisoners in Turkey.”
Human Rights Defenders e.V
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