Friday, May 9, 2025
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
Nordic Monitor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Court documents show dissident academic with heart disease deliberately sent to die in prison

August 2, 2022
A A
Court documents show dissident academic with heart disease deliberately sent to die in prison
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nordic Monitor/Stockholm

According to court documents obtained by Nordic Monitor, academic Tuğrul Özşengül, who died in prison on Saturday of a heart attack, repeatedly mentioned his heart condition in court and told the judge he would die if he had another cardiac arrest in prison. The court had told Özşengül that there was no health problem that prevented his incarceration.

Özşengül first mentioned his heart disease at a hearing in February 2018 and told Judge Kemal Selçuk Yalçın that he would soon be undergoing bypass surgery. His lawyer also stated that his client had difficulty in obtaining his medications. Judge Yalçın said the court was in possession of a medical report and that it indicated no problem with Özşengül’s imprisonment, while his lawyer said the report was drafted by an ear, nose and throat specialist, an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist and that no cardiology examination was performed. However, the court rejected the request for release on health grounds.

At another hearing Özşengül said he had a heart attack in his cell in the past and that he might not be able to recover if another one occurred.

“Your honor, the continuation of my detention means you’re signing my death warrant,” he said.

However, the court unanimously decided that Özşengül should remain in prison.

Özşengül also told Judge Yalçın that it took six-and-a-half hours to be taken from prison to the hospital and that the guards knew nothing about first aid.

Özşengül, who died at the age of 56, retired in 2014 as a lecturer at the Police Academy. After a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016, he was taken into custody and arrested for alleged membership in the Gülen movement, a faith-based group inspired by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, which the Erdoğan government has declared a terrorist organization.

He was sentenced to life in prison by an İstanbul court in 2019. After the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the decision, he was retried, and this time he was sentenced to 12 years. The verdict was again appealed at the top court. Şengül died in his cell, where he had been confined for six years, while waiting for 15 months for the court to make a decision.

Özşengül was accused by prosecutor Can Tuncay of writing columns in opposition media outlets, meeting with journalists opposed to the government, supporting corruption investigations into the government and criticizing the government’s seizure of companies belonging to businessmen allegedly affiliated with the Gülen movement.

One of the pieces of evidence the prosecutor included in the indictment against Özşengül (L) is that he met with journalist Said Sefa (C), who is an outspoken critic of the government. Another prominent journalist in the photo, Ahmet Memiş (R), was sentenced to seven years, six months in prison as part of intimidation campaign against dissident journalists by the Erdoğan government.

Nordic Monitor previously published a secret document dated January 24, 2017 revealing that Tuncay ordered the police to investigate the parents, spouse and children of Özşengül part of a deliberate and systematic campaign of intimidation by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Nordic Monitor also reported that Levent Kenez, an editor for Nordic Monitor, was accused of libeling prosecutor Tuncay and Judge Yalçın on February 17, 2018 after the court had handed down aggravated life sentences to six defendants including Özşengül on trumped-up charges of attempting to overturn the constitutional order.

An İstanbul court requested the extradition of Kenez, who lives in Stockholm, claiming that Yalçın and Tuncay were pointed out as targets for terrorist groups, a common pretext used by the Turkish government to remove political opponents and civil society activists. 

Tuncay was accused of involvement in the death of teacher Gökhan Açıkkollu, who had been subjected to torture during detention at police headquarters in İstanbul. 

Judge Yalçın is affiliated with the pro-government Islamist Hakyol Foundation, a group that is highly influential in the Turkish judiciary.

Prosecutor Can Tuncay

Physical attacks, torture and ill-treatment, threats, beatings, strip-searches, violation of the right to health care, crowded cells and arbitrary bans in Turkish prisons are widely covered on social media, where dissidents can make their voices heard. Relatives often claim that arbitrary punishments are imposed in order to prevent prisoners from benefitting from their right to supervised release and that this right is made more difficult for government critics to take advantage of.

In addition, sick prisoners who are unable to take care of themselves, whose stay in prison prevents their accessing treatment and who are elderly are often on the agenda of human rights defenders.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Turkish member of ISIS continued to use local banks despite arrest warrants and probe for terror financing

Next Post

Turkish jihadist group Dar’ul Erkam continues to raise funds for ISIS in Turkey, Europe

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor

[email protected]

Next Post
Turkish jihadist group Dar’ul Erkam continues to raise funds for ISIS in Turkey, Europe

Turkish jihadist group Dar'ul Erkam continues to raise funds for ISIS in Turkey, Europe

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

May 9, 2025
US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

May 8, 2025
EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

May 7, 2025
Turkey struggles to counter EU-Cyprus gains among ‘brother states’

Turkey struggles to counter EU-Cyprus gains among ‘brother states’

May 6, 2025
Turkey accused of financing Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon, sending planes loaded with cash

Turkey accused of financing Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon, sending planes loaded with cash

May 5, 2025
Erdoğan’s propaganda office claims he is Turkey’s greatest, most powerful brand

Leaked memo reveals Erdogan gov’t ordered psychological operations to deflect scandal, frame opposition

May 2, 2025
Turkey thwarts board election at Greek minority foundation despite court ruling

Turkey thwarts board election at Greek minority foundation despite court ruling

May 1, 2025
Turkey hosts Hamas official calling for Israel’s destruction, arming of Qassam Brigades

Turkey hosts Hamas official calling for Israel’s destruction, arming of Qassam Brigades

April 30, 2025
Erdogan ally admits indigenous tank production delayed by lack of engine, unsuitable production location

Erdogan ally admits indigenous tank production delayed by lack of engine, unsuitable production location

April 29, 2025
Turkey’s invasion plans for Greece thwarted by US, France, provoking angry outbursts from Erdogan

Turkey’s invasion plans for Greece thwarted by US, France, provoking angry outbursts from Erdogan

April 28, 2025

Nordic Monitor

Nordic Monitor is a news web site and tracking site that is run by the Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network. It covers religious, ideological and ethnic extremist movements and radical groups, with a special focus on Turkey.

Tags

al-Qaeda Andrei Karlov China coup Cyprus Diyanet Egypt espionage Germany Greece Gülen Movement Hakan Fidan Hamas Hulusi Akar Ibrahim Kalın IHH Iran IRGC Quds Force ISIL ISIS Isis al-qaida Israel Libya Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı MIT Muslim Brotherhood NATO President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Profiling Qatar Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Russia SADAT spying Spying Activities Suleyman Soylu Sweden Syria Torture Turkey Turkish Intelligence Agency Turkish intelligence agency MIT Ukraine United States

Recent News

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

Turkish Central Bank under fire as political turmoil shakes confidence

May 9, 2025
US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

US sanctions Turkish company over Iran trade, sending stern warning to Erdogan gov’t

May 8, 2025
EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

EP report slams Turkey’s foreign policy as confrontational and unaligned with EU norms

May 7, 2025

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Extremism
  • Military
  • Terrorism and Crime
  • Intelligence
  • Foreign Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Give us a tip!
  • About Us

Copyright © Nordic Research and Monitoring Network All rights reserved.