Human rights defender and seriously ill prisoner Hatice Onaran has been held in prison since October 2024. She has recurrent colon cancer, a 79% disability rate, and her life is at serious risk. Her continued detention under prison conditions directly threatens not only her health but also her life. Recent PET-CT scans have revealed new cancer lesions in her abdominal region, and doctors have clearly stated that she is in a life-threatening condition requiring chemotherapy. Despite this, Hatice Onaran is transported to the hospital in handcuffs and forced to wait for hours in a prison van, effectively obstructing her access to treatment and adequate rest.
Hatice Onaran’s imprisonment is also unlawful in itself. As a member of the Istanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Prisons Commission, she was convicted on charges of “financing terrorism” for depositing small amounts of money into the prison administration’s official accounts, in accordance with the relevant regulations in force, for the purpose of showing solidarity with sick prisoners. All of the money sent was part of a transparent and publicly known human rights campaign for sick prisoners, and under the applicable legislation, the use of these funds is already subject to the supervision of the prison administration. The sentence imposed is therefore arbitrary and aims to criminalize legitimate human rights advocacy.
Turkey is obligated to guarantee the right to health of detainees and prisoners under the international treaties to which it is a party. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) require that prisoners have access to health care equivalent to that available in the community and that they be transferred immediately to specialist hospitals in cases of emergency. The standards of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) further stipulate that persons with serious or life-threatening illnesses should not be held in prison conditions and, where necessary, should be granted humane release or transferred to appropriate medical facilities. The continued detention of Hatice Onaran under the current conditions risks violating Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect the right to life and prohibit torture and ill-treatment. Therefore, under the leadership of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), we submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Procedures. This urgent appeal was co-signed by many civil society organizations, including Uluslararası Af Örgütü Türkiye Şubesi, AĞ-DA Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği, Civil Rights Defendersi GÖÇİZDER, Hafıza Merkezi, İnsan Hakları Gündemi Derneği, Kadın Kültür Sanat ve Edebiyat Derneği, Kadın Zamanı Derneği, Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği, Özgürlük için Hukukçular Derneği, Research Institute on Turkey, Sosyal Politika Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği, Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project, Türkiye Avrupa Kültür Forumu, ÜniKuir, Kadının İnsan Hakları, LİSTAG, Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği. In the urgent appeal, we requested that the Special Procedures call on the Turkish authorities to immediately suspend the enforcement of the sentence imposed on Hatice Onaran.
We also call on the public and the authorities to heed this appeal. Action must be taken before it is too late, before Hatice Onaran’s rapidly deteriorating health leads to irreversible consequences. The Ministry of Justice, the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers, and all relevant authorities must fulfill their legal and humanitarian obligations by immediately releasing Hatice Onaran and ensuring her access to life-saving medical treatment. Defending human rights is not a crime, and no one’s life can be put at risk for any reason.