Turkey’s medical association, human rights association and lawyers issued a declaration after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the detention of academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça “did not pose a real and imminent risk of irreparable harm to the life or limb of the applicants”, regarding the two teachers who have been on hunger strike following last year’s failed coup.
Various Turkish associations in the fields of medicine, law and human rights held a press conference and issued a joint declaration on August 3, noting that the ECHR made a scandalous decision despite 24 specialist physicians had indicated to the life-threatening conditions of the two jailed teachers on hunger strike.
‘ECHR’s JUDGE MADE A PERSONAL DECISION’
Metin Bakkalcı, General Secretary of Turkey’s Human Rights of Foundation said during the press conference, “The ECHR’s decision says there is no life-threatening risk, referring to only 2 of the reports of 10 prepared in this process. Yet, the referred the reports also indicate to a life-threatening situation. It is unreasonable for the ECHR to make such a decision despite the reports of all physicians.”
Talking about the ECHR’s controversial decision, Öztürk Türkdoğan, President of Human Rights Association, stated: “The ECHR has had this attitude for the last couple of years. We witnessed such decisions during the orders of curfew and mass murders despite the reports. It also noted that the domestic legal procedures were not fulfilled yet regarding the purges by emergency decrees. This unlawful decision should be questioned. They say there is a life-threatening situation, but they do not impose an injunction. The judge made a personal decision.”
‘IMPRISONMENT CONDITIONS DETERIORATE THEIR HEALTH’
Vedat Bulut from Ankara Medical Chamber pointed out to the medically deteriorating conditions of the jailed teachers on hunger strike: “We assigned three physicians for the medical follow-up of Nuriye and Semih until their arrest. The Ministry of Justice rejected our appeal to continue the follow-up. The imprisonment conditions deteriorate their health. They must be kept in a place where many specialists are available.”
‘STATE OF EMERGENCY COMMISSION SHOULD REACH A DECISION’
While Selma Güngör from Turkey’s Medical Association set forth that they would not disapprove a forced examination and intervention on Nuriye and Semih, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, President of Contemporary Lawyers’ Association, concluded: “This imprisonment is completely political. The State of Emergency Commission should immediately reach a decision. Even if they [hunger-striking teachers] had been released, they would not have ended the hunger strike. They will end it only when they are reemployed. The judge who undersigned this decision of the ECHR is to be called to account. We will also contact with the lawyers in Europe.”
Nuriye Gülmen, an academic, and Semih Özakça, a primary school teacher, were arrested on "terror" charges late on May 23, on the 75th day of their hunger strike for being dismissed through the unlawful decrees of the AKP government following the failed coup of July 2016. The two educators have been continuing their hunger strike in jail since then.
