Theologian Huseyin Penbe, held in Samsun Prison, was not released despite being treated for cancer. Penbe’s illness worsened, and he died in prison on May 29, 2017.

Huseyin Penbe was arrested when he was in good health but was diagnosed with cancer in prison. Penbe’s body could not resist the horrendous conditions such as using the same bathroom with 49 people, being 62 years old, and also the harsh attitude of the guards. Penbe, who was operated on in Erzincan, was sent back to the 30-person ward three days after his operation. Shortly after, he was transferred to Ankara Sincan Prison, 680 km away, for `chemical treatment`. Penbe, who remained in an unsterile setting in Ankara, as in Erzincan, was not allowed to meet with his family during the `chemical treatment process`. When the poor prison conditions caused Penbe’s health condition to worsen, he was taken to the hospital’s emergency department and taken to the intensive care unit. In his last hours, he was not allowed to meet with his family. The doctor requested the authorities to enable Penbe to meet his family members during his final hours; nevertheless, the police threatened the doctor with imprisonment. Finally, he passed away on Monday without being able to say goodbye to his family. After Huseyin Penbe’s death, a conditional release order was issued.

Penbe’s body was buried in his hometown, Kayseri province. His sister, who was also under arrest over alleged links to the Hizmet movement, was allowed to attend into the funeral ceremony only with gendarmeries in company. Although it was regulated in Article 116 of the Execution Law that “up to 2 days outside the road time” could be allowed, regime permitted his sister to be in the cemetery for few hours during the burial.