Sabri Karataş.
Ali Karataş.
A TURKISH MAN who was terminally ill and a prisoner has died, after he was submitted to hospital when it was announced he had just days to live.
Sabri Karatas, the 36-year-old man was serving a 12-year prison sentence in Pentonville Prison after he admitted to conspiracy to supply 20 kilos of heroin in May 2015.
Karatas, who is originally from Homerton, was at St Joesph’s Hospice, battling the final stages of bowel cancer. Till then it is said he was handcuffed to a prison officer.
He had pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and two counts of possession of ammunition without a certificate. He was sent to Pentonville Prison to serve his sentence.
STILL HUMAN
Despite being unable to move unaided and requiring constant care, prison authorities had refused to unchain him for security reasons.
His brother Ali Karatas said: “This is meant to be a civilised country. This is happening in the UK, in 2015 – how can this be?”
He questioned the prison’s assessment of his brother as ‘high risk’ asking: “How can he be at ‘high risk’ of running off? He is in a private room with a lock and two security guards next to him.”
“I’m losing my brother – he might be a criminal, but he is still human.”
In September, Karatas’ legal team urged three judges to cut his sentence so he could spend his final days with his family.
The judge reduced his sentence to seven years as “an act of mercy” but said his crime was too serious to justify releasing him.
Pentonville Cezaevi
DIGNIFIED DEATH
In a letter sent to the prison authorities from Whittington Hospital where Karatas was treated, doctors recommended that his sentence be reviewed as the patient had only weeks to live.
The letter read: “While in hospital we feel that the decision to handcuff him to a prison officer should also be re-considered to allow him a dignified death”.
The Karatas family have complained about Sabri’s treatment in prison, claiming he was sent back to prison just five days after having major surgery.
Ali Karatas who spoke to Londra Gazete prior to loosing his brother, said: “Being guilty doesn’t mean that the person should have their rights to health taken away from them. The prison didn’t give my brothers medication properly. They didn’t keep track of his chemotherapy treatment days either. Any person can go through this. My brother is dying. I want to let you all know of this cruelty. This is a block to human rights.”
“HE SHOULD OF STAYED IN HOSPITAL, THE PRISON DIDN’T LET HIM”
Ali Karatas spent 6 months trying to save his brother and explained to Londra Gazete the difficult times he went through and said: “My brother Sabri Karatas has been in prison for over a year, six months ago he began complaining of pain and wanted to go to the hospita. There he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and a short time later had a very serious operation at the Whittington Hospital in Archway London. A part of his bowel measuring 30cm was removed and the tumor was cleaned. His condition was serious and instead of him being kept in hospital, he was handcuffed and taken back to the prison just five days after his operation. The hospital sent a letter to prison authorities to release him. They took his morphine away and gave him paracetamol instead.”
“IT IS ‘TORTURE’ TO KEEP SOMEONE WHO IS DYING IN PRISON”
Research into the circumstances of prisoners (in Britain) who are ill or dying according to the independent organisation the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, is ‘torture’ for them to be kept in prison.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We manage the care of prisoners who are sick as sensitively as possible but public safety remains our priority.
“That is why we review an individual’s security arrangements on a daily basis to take account of changing factors including medical advice.”
WITH JUST DAYS TO LIVE HE WAS TAKEN INTO HOSPITAL
Doctors announced that Sabri Karatas had just days to live and after a decision which came from a Ministry of Justice department of the National Offender Management Team accepted that Karatas was very ill on the 28 October and was taken into St Joseph Hospice on 28 October 2015, however his condition became critical on Friday 29 October and died. Speaking on behalf of the Karatas family, Ali Karatas said: “Unfortunately my brother, because of the prison’s decision and delay has died, but he could’ve lived longer. We don’t want anyone else to go through this. Whatever their crime may be, peoples human rights allow them to have the right to receive treatment for their illness. We want everyone to hear our message.”
Ali Karatas claims his brother’s second round of treatment was administered eight days late and described the family’s frantic attempts to get him to hospital: “Medical reports predicted he had one or two years to live, but he doesn’t even have that- he has 10 days.
“I don’t want anyone else to pay this price. I want to shout as loud as I can.”
RESTRAINT SHOULD BE ‘PROPORTIONATE’
The family’s MP Meg Hillier wrote to the prison in July to raise their concerns but received no reply despite her office staff repeatedly telephoning the prison governer’s office.
In a report by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) the concordat notes that using restraints on terminally or seriously ill patients should be considered “inhumane” except when justified by security considerations.
It continues: “Levels of restraint used on prisoners must at all times be proportionate to the perceived security risks and be balanced by consideration of care and decency for the prisoner.”
St Joseph’s Hospice said it could not comment for reasons of patient confidentiality.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We manage the care of prisoners who are sick as sensitively as possible but public safety remains our priority.
“That is why we review an individual’s security arrangements on a daily basis to take account of changing factors including medical advice.”
