human rights defender
Urgent support needed
Medical assistance: to facilitate Hatice Onaran to access proper cancer-treatment in a medical facility adequately equipped. She is currently receiving medical treatment and her lawyers are going to apply for the extention of her prison sentence's postponement when six months ends.
Organization affiliation
- Human Rights Association (IHD)
HRD's year of birth
1965
HRD's Gender
Woman
Type of HRD
- NGO member
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Economic, social and cultural rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
Current Status
Released on a suspended sentence
HRD's bio and work
Hatice Onaran is a 60-year-old human rights defender. She has worked actively and voluntarily at the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) for years.
Detained since
Oct 10, 2024
Date of release
Feb 14, 2026
Charge(s)
- Terrorism
Sentence
She was sentenced to four years and two months in prison on the grounds that she deposited small amounts of money to support the basic needs of prisoners; her support was based on prisoners’ applications made to the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD).
Latitude: 40.780037738463655
Longitude: 29.407653808593754
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Western Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Gebze
Location of detention - Facility
Gebze Women's Closed Prison
Alternative mailing address
Katip Mustafa Çelebi Mahallesi
Çukurlu Çeşme Sokak, Bayman Apartmanı No:2/1
Taksim/İSTANBUL
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
She has colon cancer and requires chemotherapy. She has severe scoliosis and experiences intense physical pain in prison. One of the biggest problems is accessing the hospital. As ill prisoners are transported together, she may have to wait for hours in the ring vehicles with her hands cuffed, even if her examination or treatment has finished before those of others. Furthermore, as the handcuffs are not removed during the examination, like any other prisoner she is being examined with the handcuffs.
Recent case update / evolution
Hatice Onaran was imprisoned in Gebze Women's Closed Prison on 10 October 2024. She was released from prison on February 14, 2026, under the Criminal Sentence Execution Law No. 5275, on the grounds of “postponement of sentence execution for health reasons.” Her sentence was postponed for six months due to health issues.
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