İzmir man receives 100,000 liras in compensation over infection in prison

İZMİR – Dogan News Agency

A court has ruled that the Justice Ministry and the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers must pay 100,000 Turkish Liras  ($ 25,430) in damages to an inmate after he suffered a serious medical infection in jail in the western province of Bursa.

Muhammet Aydoğan underwent a series of surgical operations after being shot in the face in 1993. He was jailed two months after his treatment was completed in 2012 on charges of attempted murder.

He subsequently got infected 1.5 months after entering prison, leading to tissue decay and open wounds on his face.

Aydoğan’s lawyer Tuba Aksu said prison conditions caused the infection.

“My client was first transferred to a hospital in Bursa and then to another one in Ankara. But there was no dormitory for inmates at either hospital so he was sent back to the prison,” Aksu said.

The management of the prison did not take any action regarding Aydoğan’s treatment and he had to go between various hospitals for treatment, his lawyer said, adding that some of these hospitals issued reports underlining the risks of prison for Aydoğan’s health.

As a result of the hurdles during the treatment process, the loss in Aydoğan’s body functioning increased to 72 percent from 43 percent, Aksu stated.

“My client experienced both physical and mental damage because of what happened. The treatment process simply returned to its first phase,” she said.

The court in Bursa ultimately ruled that the Justice Ministry and the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers must pay 100,000 liras in compensation to Aydoğan considering his “physiological and psychological suffering.”