The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday rejected a request by two Turkish teachers, who are on hunger strike while in detention following last year's failed coup, to order Ankara to release them on health grounds, Reuters reported.
The Strasbourg-based court ruled that the detention of academic Nuriye Gülmen and primary school teacher Semih Özakça "did not pose a real and imminent risk of irreparable harm to the life or limb of the applicants", the report added. "It, therefore, rejected the applicants' request that the court order the government to release them," the court said.
The two have gone on hunger strike to protest against a government crackdown in which they lost their jobs. The authorities locked them away saying their protest was driven by DHKP-C, a militant leftist group deemed terrorist by Turkey.
The court told Ankara, however, to allow doctors to examine the two teachers as they see fit, and inform the court about any new developments. It also reiterated its call that the two drop their hunger strike.
Doctors following their case said in June that the condition of the teachers - who have been on water, sugar, salt and vitamin B for more than 100 days - was approaching critical.
