The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Released months ago | Cancer-stricken civilian from Afrin dies in hospital in Turkey over poor healthcare during his detention in Al-Ra’i prison

Aleppo province: SOHR activists have documented the death of a cancer-stricken young man from Afrin due to the poor healthcare in the notorious prison of Al-Ra’i, run by Turkish-backed factions in northern Aleppo. The young man has been detained in Al-Ra’i prison for nearly three years and a half for “dealing with Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) during the Autonomous Administration’s control of Afrin city.

 

According to SOHR sources, the victim was a 30-year-old man known by his initials as M. A. from Raju district in Afrin countryside and the father of a child. The young man died in a hospital in Turkey affected by complications related to the cancer which he got when he was in Al-Ra’i prison following brutal torture and poor healthcare. The man was released three months ago, while his family transported him to a hospital in Istanbul, after his health condition had deteriorated greatly.

 

This case was one of tens of victims died under torture and due to poor healthcare in the prisons of Turkish-backed factions, especially Al-Ra’i prison.

 

On November 27, SOHR activists documented the death of a civilian from Afrin under torture in a prison of Turkish-backed factions, after being detained for over one year.

 

According to SOHR sources, the family of the 51-year-old civilian known by his initials as S. N. was informed of the his death and were asked to collect his body from Al-Ra’i prison which is run and supervised by factions affiliated to Turkish Intelligence.

 

While on May 31, SOHR activists documented the death of an old woman in al-Ra’i prison of pro-Ankara factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo. SOHR activists reported that the woman was arrested by al-Hamza Division in April 2019 from Bozikeya village of Jenderes district in Afrin countryside for “dealing with Kurdish troops”. The old woman died of a heart attack in al-Ra’i prison due to the poor healthcare inside the prison.

 

Turkish-backed factions use various ways of torture against the detainees in their prisons, including holding prisoners in too small rooms where they could not sit, providing too little food and brutal beating.