Ayşe Özdoğan, a cancer patient who was tried and sentenced for managing a dormitory affiliated with the Gülen movement, faces the risk of being sent to prison. There are calls for the postponement of her sentence due to her illness. Her husband is also in custody.
Özdoğan, who has an 8-year-old child, was sentenced to 9 years and 1 month in prison in the case she was tried, and this sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
The charges against Özdoğan “in her trial include managing a private dormitory, having an account at Bank Asya”, association membership, witness testimony, and using the ByLock messaging application.
Trying to make her voice heard on social media, Ayşe Özdoğan appeals for help, saying, “”I was diagnosed with maxillary sinus cancer a year ago. I had bone and tissue transplants. Now the disease has spread to my brain. I am 72% disabled. I don’t want to live in prison in this condition. If I enter prison like this, I will die. Please amplify my voice.””
Emine Erdem, Özdoğan’s sister, speaking to the Kronos site, says, “My sister was arrested on December 14, 2019. She was arrested after her first surgery, when cancer was diagnosed and after the first biopsy-like operation, and taken to prison. She was released 15 days later and had her major surgery. She was released with a forensic medicine report stating she cannot stay in prison. A week later, she had surgery. She was released on December 26, 2019, and had surgery on January 2, 2020.”
“”I cannot survive in prison conditions””
Ayşe Özdoğan expresses that she endures unbearable pain but is more concerned about her 8-year-old son. Özdoğan stated, “”My husband is in prison, waiting for good news from us. My son hasn’t spoken to anyone for 2 days. While I was talking to my lawyer, my son overheard the conversation. He started crying, asking, ‘’Mom, will the police come? Will they take you away? Are you going to join Dad? Who will take care of you there? What if you die there?’’ I feel so helpless and I’m appealing to the authorities. I cannot cope with all of this under prison conditions.””
Özdoğan calls on state bureaucrats, civil society organizations, and activists to heed her voice.
