The release of prisoners held in jails across Turkey and Northern Kurdistan (Bakur) continues to be arbitrarily delayed by Administrative and Observation Boards, with 69-year-old sick prisoner Besra Erol among those affected.
Besra Erol lost her son, Evrim Deniz Erol, in 2015 after a bombing carried out by ISIS in Suruc (Pirsûs). Following a speech she delivered at her son’s graveside, she was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on charges of “membership in an organization” and was taken into custody in April 2019.
Despite having completed her sentence, Erol’s release has been postponed twice on the grounds that she refused to accept imposed expressions of remorse. Her release was delayed in December 2024 and again in June 2025. It has now emerged that Erol was not brought before the Administrative and Observation Board scheduled to assess her case on 8 January, with prison authorities citing a disciplinary penalty as justification.
Release delayed for a year
Besra Erol’s release has been postponed for a total of one year based on her response to the question, “Do you regret it?” She was expected to be brought before the Administrative and Observation Board again on 8 January. Her release, which was postponed for one year in December 2024, was reduced to six months following objections filed by her lawyers. When Erol was brought before the board again in June 2025, her answers to the questions were not recorded in the official minutes, and the board once more postponed her release on the same grounds.
Health conditions worsening
Besra Erol, who suffers from serious health problems in prison, has been hospitalized multiple times after repeatedly falling ill. Struggling to survive through medication and ongoing treatment, Erol has thyroid nodules that carry a risk of cancer, as well as chronic illnesses including a herniated disc, inguinal hernia, sciatica, goiter, high blood pressure, and glaucoma.
Having undergone surgery three times for a herniated disc, Erol has difficulty walking and experiences constant pain. She has also had surgery due to glaucoma but suffers from severe eye dryness as she has been unable to access proper treatment. In total, Erol has undergone six surgeries. It has been reported that she is at risk of losing her eyesight, and that a necessary thyroid operation has not been approved by the prison administration.
Not brought before the board citing a disciplinary penalty
Family members spoke to reiterate their demand for Besra Erol’s release and called for what they described as this injustice to end as soon as possible. They said that the prison conditions have aggravated the illnesses of a woman who will soon turn 70 and that her living conditions are becoming more difficult with each passing day.
The family members said: “Fifteen days ago, five people who were staying in the same ward as our mother were given a disciplinary penalty on the grounds that they turned off the light in their ward. Normally, turning off the lights is not prohibited, yet they were punished for this. Under this one-month penalty, they are also barred from social activities and sports. Our mother’s disciplinary penalty was then used as a pretext to ensure that she was not brought before the board this month. We were told that the penalty would end on 14 February. We know very well that both the penalty itself and the decision not to bring her before the board are arbitrary.
Our mother is being held in prison under extremely difficult health conditions. We expect her to be brought before the board once the penalty ends. Her morale is good, but she is facing serious health problems. Her thyroid condition is becoming more severe with each passing day, and she needs surgery. At first, she did not want to undergo surgery in prison because she hoped to be released, but now that she does want the operation, permission is not being granted. She has stomach problems and difficulty walking due to her hernia. This is not a place for her. She needs to be reunited with her family and children as soon as possible. She cannot access adequate medical care in prison.”