Bilal Sel, an advanced Parkinson’s patient, was left for dead in prison purposely. While the 15-year Turkish teacher’s condition is severe, the seriousness of the forensic doctors who report that Bilal Sel can stay in prison is incredible!
SEVİNÇ ÖZARSLAN
BOLD – Bilal Sel (47), who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s by Hacettepe University Hospital in 2013, is being dragged to death purposely by Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute. Bilal Sel, who has been detained for 3 years, was taken to Forensic Medicine five times in three years because his illness progressed rapidly in prison. But each time he was reported that he could stay in prison, and his disease progression in prison conditions was ignored.
TRANSFERRED TO R TYPE PRISON
Bilal Sel was transferred to the Metris R Type Closed Prison in June 2019 by Istanbul Forensic Medicine, where he was taken with a wheelchair. R type prison (rehabilitation type for patient detainees) was found suitable for Bilal Sel.
Bilal Sel, on the other hand, can’t live in prison alone. His illness is advanced. His wife told about his last situation and his experiences in three years:
-Where is your husband now and how is he?
He was kept in Kirsehir prison for 37 months before transferring to Metris with the Forensic Medicine Institute’s escort in July 2019. Usually, this disease occurs at a relatively older age, but it started when my husband was in his 30’s. He is moving extremely slowly. Even a simple task like dressing up takes him 15 to 20 minutes and is very tiring. My daughter asks “Why does my father always look sad?” His facial expressions have dissapeared and he blinks very rarely. Most of the times, he has to stop walking stand still for a while in order to stay afoot.
-Can he walk?
He walks like a newborn baby. He can’t start his step, and he can’t stop himself when he starts to walk. The body moves forward, and the feet are left behind. He steps by holding on to the walls. I’m afraid he might fall and hit his head because this disease lowers blood pressure. His right side is already tremoring completely. His arm, his shoulder and his tongue are shaking. Sometimes, he has a speech disorder. His mouth is contracting inward. He can’t use his right hand, and also his left hand now. He has contractions all the time, and of course, he can’t use his hands because of muscle pains. My husband now has advanced Parkinson’s. He needs to be treated like a baby.
-How does he do his daily work in prison?
He’s doing it himself by crawling. He goes to the bathroom, stays there for hours. There’s also a disturbance in his perception, but the physical difficulty is more serious. He will lose his mind soon. He can spend one hour a day in the courtyard, but he has to go alone. He is not allowed to see other prisoners. He doesn’t want to go to the courtyard because he can’t walk. He says he can’t go anywhere even in the ward.
-When was the last time you saw your husband?
I saw him a month ago. He lost 20 kilos. He is completely exhausted. He seems very old, and the disease has changed his face and body. His arms are bent forward, his body is contracted. Nobody realized that my husband was sick before going to prison. But now there is a handicapped person’s appearance.
– On visit days, can he go out on his own?
He can come in 10-15 minutes after everyone else. On the visit day, everyone who saw my husband cried a lot. He couldn’t walk, he stayed in the square. He had a very painful appearance. He was struggling like a baby, which hurt me.
15-year Turkish teacher Bilal Sel’s first years on his profession
-When did his disease start?
It was diagnosed in 2013. Parkinson ‘s is rare in the 30s. The doctors always said there was no Parkinson’s at this age. As he grew older, it appeared. The diagnosis was made before he went to prison. When he first went to prison, he was doing his daily work, and he didn’t have any problem in his daily life. After being arrested, his disease progressed very quickly. He could not be treated properly. It’s very relevant to psychology.
– When did the disease progress?
Symptoms increased one year after he went to prison. He started walking by dragging his foot. He has not only a walking disorder but also there are impairments in his speech, his movements, his facial expressions. Forensic doctors transferred him to Metris instead of evacuating him. This disease is very difficult to care for even outside, my husband needs care. He can’t cut his nails, he can’t shave, he can’t even brush his teeth. In Kirsehir, his friends were helping my husband in daily life such as eating, drinking, washing his clothes. He was left alone in Metris, and he was in a very difficult situation psychologically because there is nobody to help. In June, he was taken to Forensic Medicine by a wheelchair because he could not walk. Then, he was transferred to prison for patients. Such prisons exist in Izmir and Istanbul.
-How many times has he been taken to Istanbul Forensic Medicine?
It’s also a torment. He’s been taken five times. Each time he was given a report he could stay in prison. There was always the same doctor when he went to Forensic Medicine. Once, the doctor asked, “Haven’t we evacuated you yet?” My husband was hopeful. When he was first taken there, the doctor said to my husband “ What’s the difference for you inside and outside! You’re sick!” My husband told me it. It was very painful for him. Is it normal to say such a sentence to a sick person? When he was taken to Forensic Medicine a year ago, they sent him to Metris. He stayed there for 5-6 months. Because he couldn’t stand to be alone there and we couldn’t see him, we filed a petition and he came back to Kırşehir Prison. When he was taken back to Forensic Medicine in June 2019, it was reported that he would remain in Metris indefinitely.
-When was your husband arrested, and what was your husband charged with?
He was arrested on 29 July 2016. He was arrested for union membership, the child’s school, and depositing money into Bank Asya. In September 2018, he was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months imprisonment. The appeal was approved by the Court of Appeals, and his file is in the Court of Supreme now. He was always connected to the court with sound and video information system(SEGBIS) because the court was in Aksaray. So, the judge did not see my husband’s appearance. Reports were sent, but judges disregarded them because Forensic Medicine said he could stay in prison.
Bilal Sel has a daughter
THE REPORTS OF ISTANBUL FORENSIC MEDICINE INSTITUTE IN 3 YEARS SHOW EXPRESSLY HOW A PARKINSON’S PATIENT IS LEFT FOR DEAD