- Title: Turkish doctors slam rights court for rejecting hunger strikers' case
- Date: 3rd August 2017
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (FILE - MAY 11, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE APPLAUDING AT DEMONSTRATION TEACHER ON HUNGER STRIKE SEMIH OZAKCA RAISING HIS FIST AND DEMONSTRATING TEACHER ON HUNGER STRIKE NURIYE GULMEN BEING ASSISTED AS SHE ARRIVES FOR DEMONSTRATION WIFE OF OZAKCA, ESRA OZAKCA STANDING SEMIH OZAKCA CHANTING SLOGANS ASKING FOR HIS JOB BACK GULMEN DRINKING WATER WOMEN APPLAUDING OZAKCA AND GULMEN CHANTING SLOGANS
- Embargoed: 17th August 2017 17:14
- Keywords: Turkey hunger strike Nuriye Gulmen Semih Ozakca European Court of Human Rights Ankara
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0026SLSRPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A prominent association of Turkish doctors criticised the European Court of Human Rights on Thursday (August 3) for rejecting a request from two teachers to be released from prison on health grounds after five months on hunger strike.
Nuriye Gulmen, a professor, and Semih Ozakca, a primary school teacher, had petitioned the Strasbourg-based court to order Ankara to release them, arguing imprisonment posed a risk to their lives.
But the court ruled on Wednesday the detention did not pose a "real and imminent risk of irreparable harm" to the two, who have been taking supplements and liquid to stay alive.
The Ankara Chamber of Medical Doctors disagreed with the court's assessment, saying the risk was potentially grave and the two should be placed in a medical facility.
The teachers have said the hunger strike is to draw attention to the plight of the roughly 150,000 people suspended or sacked since last July's failed putsch, which President Tayyip Erdogan blames on followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric. Authorities detained the two after they went on the hunger strike, saying their protest was driven by DHKP-C, a militant leftist group deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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