Top Tweets for #prisonersofConscience
As he testifies on the Hill today, @SupportJimmyLai’s son Sebastien tells me, “They have this man who for many people around the world is a symbol of liberty…So killing him would just be cruelty.”
Me: You mean allowing him to die in prison?
Lai: “I mean, given the conditions he's in and given the fact that he's completely innocent…it’s the UN working group on arbitrary detention. Completely objective body as well as many countries, it is killing him. They're killing an innocent man.”
209 #China #prisonersofconscience--people already subjected to wrongful detention--allege #torture. Beatings, electric shocks, grossly inadequate medical care. Impunity makes this possible: few cases are ever investigated, and no one prosecuted.
https://t.co/ps7jt0MEJ9
🚨.@CHRDnet 's new study on torture of #PrisonersOfConscience in 🇨🇳 reveals that authorities persist in using #torture, typically to extract confessions, and fail to investigate allegations of ill-treatment.
https://t.co/wayP5M1RLm
‼️New @CHRDnet research shows grim #torture stats for #China #prisonersofconscience:
1 in 5 allege beatings
1 in 3 denied adequate medical care
0 prosecutions of offenders
This isn’t an accident, or an oversight: police and courts choose to torture.
https://t.co/ps7jt0MEJ9
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Ayşe Asude is 15 years old. She has Down syndrome and a heart condition. Today, both her mother and her older brother are behind bars.
Her mother, Fatma Gök, was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in a Hizmet-related case. She had previously been released because Ayşe required her daily care. But on May 28, 2026, Fatma was returned to prison even though her daughter’s medical condition and dependence on her reportedly had not changed.
Then, in July, Ayşe’s 21-year-old brother Selim was also imprisoned.
The allegations highlighted in the renewed advocacy campaign raise further concerns. Fatma’s case reportedly included witness statements about religious gatherings and Qur’an reading, while allegations against Selim included activities connected to studying and living abroad.
Ayşe was never sentenced to prison. Yet she is living with the consequences of these imprisonments every day.
When a child has significant medical and caregiving needs, her best interests and right to family life must matter.
Share their story. Call for Fatma and Selim’s cases to be reviewed with Ayşe’s welfare at the center.
#SuçYokCezaVar #VoicesBehindBars #FreeFatmaGok #FreeSelimGok #HumanRightsViolations #MothersAndChildren #ReligiousFreedom #HizmetMovement #Turkey @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
Read more:
https://t.co/KNhkgUnk7T
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Treating patients is a doctor’s duty. For Dr. Barış Kaya, it is reportedly part of the case being used to keep him behind bars.
Dr. Kaya has been held in Marmara No. 2 L-Type Prison since June 26 after being detained while on his way to the Istanbul Medical Chamber.
Writing from prison, Kaya says police forcibly removed him from his vehicle, pushed his head against the ground and placed him in reverse handcuffs, leaving bruising, swelling and numbness in his hands. He also alleges that while his access to a lawyer was restricted, a person identifying himself as an intelligence officer approached him and asked him to cooperate.
Among the allegations in his investigation is reportedly “treating organization members.”
Kaya’s response goes to the heart of medical ethics: physicians have a professional obligation to treat patients without discrimination based on identity, belief or political opinion. “I am a physician,” he wrote, making clear that he would continue treating those who need care.
Providing medical care should never become evidence of criminality.
The allegations of police mistreatment, restricted access to counsel and pressure to cooperate also demand an independent and credible investigation.
Share Dr. Barış Kaya’s story. Defend the independence of medical professionals and the right to due process.
#VoicesBehindBars #FreeBarisKaya #HumanRightsViolations #MedicalEthics #DueProcess #Turkey #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
Read more: https://t.co/hBYsX0njJF
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
For the first time since the ECtHR Grand Chamber ordered his release, Osman Kavala has spoken from prison — reminding Turkey that no one can be deprived of liberty for conduct that is not defined as a crime.
Kavala, 68, has been behind bars since October 2017 and is serving aggravated life imprisonment in the Gezi Park case.
In its final August 25 judgment, the European Court of Human Rights found that his prosecution, detention and conviction were primarily intended to punish and silence him for his human-rights work and protected civic activity. In his new statement, Kavala said compliance with ECtHR judgments is a basic obligation of a state governed by the rule of law.
This is no longer just a debate over one case. It is a test of whether Turkey will comply with a final and binding human rights judgment.
The judgment is final. The question now is whether Turkey will comply.
Share his story. Call on Turkey to implement the judgment and release Osman Kavala.
#VoicesBehindBars #FreeOsmanKavala #HumanRightsViolations #RuleOfLaw #CivilSociety #Turkey #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
🔗 Read more:
https://t.co/HfNdAVWmmb
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Mehmet Sait Yıldırım, a 73-year-old seriously ill prisoner who has spent more than 33 years behind bars, suffered a heart attack after his conditional release was postponed for the fourth time.
Yıldırım has been eligible for conditional release since February 27, 2025. Yet the prison’s Administration and Observation Board has repeatedly blocked his release, citing alleged insufficient “remorse” and “good behavior.” His lawyer says he was again pressured over remorse during his latest review.
Shortly after returning from that meeting, Yıldırım suffered a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered a blocked major artery. He underwent angiography and had two stents inserted into his heart.
The cardiac emergency comes on top of an already extensive list of serious health problems, including heart disease, hypertension, COPD, arteriosclerosis and lung problems—conditions that reportedly cannot be adequately managed in prison.
After more than three decades of incarceration, repeatedly postponing the conditional release of a 73-year-old man facing severe and potentially life-threatening illnesses raises profound concerns about the right to health, humane treatment and the right to life.
His family is asking for one thing: let him come home before it is too late.
Raise your voice. Share his story. Demand his release.
🔗 Read more:
https://t.co/HeFZw7j6VS
#VoicesBehindBars #FreeMehmetSaitYildirim #HumanRightsViolations #RightToHealth #PrisonConditions #Turkey #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Mevlüt Öztaş, a 49-year-old journalist and father, died just two months after being released from prison, following a devastating battle with pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed while he was incarcerated.
Öztaş had worked as a journalist for the now-closed Cihan News Agency for eight years. He was arrested in February 2018 over alleged links to the Hizmet Movement and sentenced to 9 years and 3 months in prison.
While imprisoned, his health deteriorated severely. He underwent multiple surgeries under poor prison conditions and was diagnosed not only with pancreatic cancer, but also with renal insufficiency and asthma. His daughter, Büşra Öztaş, publicly campaigned for his release and said that her father could have been saved had he been allowed to receive proper hospital treatment.
It was not until June 24, 2020, when his condition had become critical, that authorities released him after a medical committee concluded that remaining in prison was incompatible with his deteriorating health. Two months later, Mevlüt Öztaş died from multiple organ failure.
His case is a painful reminder of the consequences of delayed medical treatment and the continued imprisonment of seriously ill prisoners. Access to timely and adequate healthcare is a fundamental right. A prison sentence must never become a death sentence through medical neglect.
Mevlüt Öztaş cannot be brought back. But his story must not be forgotten. Raise your voice. Share his story. Demand accountability.
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/EPAgrD4sNl
#VoicesBehindBars #MevlutOztas #HumanRightsViolations #RightToHealth #PressFreedom #HizmetMovement #Turkey #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Hüseyin Parlak, a 70-year-old prisoner, died after suffering a brain hemorrhage in Turkey’s Alaşehir Prison, following what rights advocates describe as severe medical and institutional neglect.
Parlak was serving a 7-year-and-6-month sentence over alleged affiliation with the Hizmet Movement. In August 2025, amid temperatures reaching 43°C (109°F) inside an overcrowded prison, he became ill, collapsed and hit his head. He suffered a brain hemorrhage and was taken to intensive care.
Reports about his case indicate that warning signs preceded his collapse. Parlak was reportedly taken to the emergency room three times, yet was returned to prison without basic blood testing. By his fourth hospital visit, his sodium level had fallen dangerously low. He was also reportedly held in a cell without adequate ventilation amid extreme heat and water shortages.
Parlak ultimately died in custody. His case raises grave questions about Turkey’s responsibility to protect the lives and health of people in its custody, particularly elderly and medically vulnerable prisoners. International standards require prisoners to receive adequate and timely healthcare; incarceration must never amount to a death sentence through neglect.
🕊️ Hüseyin Parlak cannot be brought back. But his story must not be forgotten. Raise your voice. Share his story. Demand accountability.
📰https://t.co/IaHBpcbb0E
📰https://t.co/jF0uLgnP6x
#VoicesBehindBars #HuseyinParlak #HumanRightsViolations #RightToHealth #PrisonConditions #HizmetMovement #Turkey #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
#PrisonersOfConscience Episode 407: Wife Gives Birth, Husband Imprisoned for Evangelism, Unable to Be by Her Side—Today (July 23, 2023), Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church preacher Dai Zhichao's wife Lu Lingzhi gave birth smoothly in the hospital, mother and child are safe. Amid the cost of faith and the pain of family separation, people once again witness the CCP's brutal persecution of Christianity. On January 6, 2026, Early Rain Covenant Church faced another large-scale crackdown, with Dai Zhichao and 8 other pastors and co-workers arrested.
#ChineseHumanRights #DailyRecommendation #PrisonersOfConscience Episode 400: Crying Out for the Still-Imprisoned Beijing Zion Church Pastors Gao Yanjia, Wang Lin, and Eight Other Shepherds: On July 3, 2026, the CCP unconditionally and innocently released Zion Case so-called "principal offender" Pastor Jin Mingri. Since the "principal offender" has been innocently released, what crime have the detained eight "accessory offenders" committed? Attachment: Prayer Letter from Pastor Wang Lin's Wife Sister Su Ziming: Let us cry out together until the walls fall down!
🔴 Six years of #HongKong's #NationalSecurityLaw:
@CHRDnet studied 123 #PrisonersOfConscience sentenced under national security charges (2021–2024)
▶️ Nearly half convicted under #NSL
▶️ Average sentence: 5 years
▶️ Top charge: subversion
👉 https://t.co/oHLp7Jbpo0
🔔On the Intl Day in Support of Victims of #Torture, we highlight 🇨🇳 govt's overdue review under the #ConventionAgainstTorture.
@CHRDnet found denial of medical care in detention the most common form of torture against #PrisonersOfConscience from 2016–2025. Report forthcoming.
BREAKING| 'Gross Abuse Of Law' : Delhi High Court Quashes FIR & ED Case Against NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha ... https://t.co/q5yccULDpe
#ChinaHumanRights #DailyRecommendation #PrisonersOfConscience Episode 348: Wang Bingzhang, the first leader of the Chinese overseas democracy movement, has endured 24 years behind bars, steadfastly refusing to bow his head. Now nearly 80 and battling severe illness, prison authorities state: Life imprisonment cannot be paroled for medical reasons; sentence reduction must come first, which requires him to admit fault. Recently, Wang Bingzhang's family visited him at Shaoguan Prison, where his condition is poor—he suffers from multiple diseases and cannot apply for medical parole because he has always refused to admit guilt.
Frige Dawit Isaak och alla samvetsfångar. #FreeDawitIsaak #PrisonersOfConscience
Vi fortsätter att säga hans namn: Dawit Isaak. #NeverForget #HumanRights #PressFreedom
Aujourd'hui marque 9 000 jours depuis que le journaliste et écrivain suédo-érythréen #DawitIsaak a été emprisonné par les autorités érythréennes sans inculpation, sans procès et sans accès à une procédure régulière.
Neuf mille jours ne représentent pas seulement une durée stupéfiante, mais aussi un rappel brutal de l’impunité persistante entourant ces détentions et de la suppression systématique de la liberté de la presse en Eritrea.
Nous appelons le gouvernement érythréen à libérer immédiatement et sans condition Dawit Isaak ainsi que tous les journalistes emprisonnés et prisonniers d’opinion.
Nous appelons également la Sweden et l’European Union à intensifier leurs efforts en faveur de Dawit Isaak et à exiger des réponses claires concernant son état de santé et le lieu où il se trouve.
Alors que nous marquons ce sombre jalon, nous exprimons notre solidarité avec Dawit Isaak, sa famille, ses collègues et toutes celles et ceux qui continuent de lutter pour la liberté d’expression, la dignité humaine et la justice en Érythrée.
https://t.co/4X5zCeqRXU
Release the activists and workers!
#PrisonersOfConscience in Turkey
Alaeddin Kaya (76), a respected journalist and former publisher of the now-closed Zaman newspaper, remains behind bars despite severe, life-threatening health conditions and mounting international concern.
Arrested in 2016 on politically motivated charges, Kaya has spent nearly a decade in prison. Although Turkey’s Supreme Court overturned his aggravated life sentence, authorities continue to keep him detained — a stark example of the persistent targeting of journalists and media figures associated with independent or Hizmet-aligned outlets.
Kaya’s deteriorating health makes his continued imprisonment especially cruel. According to recent reports, he suffers from serious cardiovascular and mobility issues, and doctors have warned that he faces a high risk of stroke. His condition has sharply worsened in custody, and his family fears he may not survive prison without urgent medical intervention.
“I want to be acquitted. This is why I’m here,” Kaya has said — a plea that reflects both his innocence and his resolve to seek justice.
His continued detention illustrates Turkey’s disregard for due process, humanitarian standards, and press freedom. No journalist should face death in prison for their work.
🕊️ Raise your voice. Share his story. Demand justice.
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/eYPh67uImq
#VoicesBehindBars #FreeAlaeddinKaya #HumanRightsViolations #PressFreedom #Turkey #HizmetMovement #Erdogan @HouseForeign @SenateForeign @StateDept @TLHumanRights
#ChineseHumanRights #DailyRecommendation #PrisonersOfConscience Episode 310: Tibetan monk Batin Yixi went missing in 2021 for teaching Tibetan language to students. Latest news: He was secretly sentenced to 6 years in prison in early 2026. Batin Yixi has practiced at Ganzi Monastery since childhood and later became a highly respected monk teacher, yet he was severely punished solely for imparting his mother tongue. It must be known that language is the foundation of a nation's existence; once language perishes, the nation will also perish—this case serves as yet another ironclad proof of the CCP's commission of "genocide."
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