Request by Ramazan Gülten, arrested in IMM investigation, to attend birth denied!
Ramazan Gülten, Head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Department of Zoning and Urbanization, announced that his request for leave to attend the birth of his daughter, who is due while he is in prison, has been denied.
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Ramazan Gülten, who is being held in Silivri Prison, filed an application with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stating that his wife, Pınar Çalışkan, is having a high-risk pregnancy and that he wishes to be by her side during the birth.
His lawyers, Hüseyin Ersöz and Enes Ermaner, stated that the couple went through a long process to conceive via IVF treatment and that this pregnancy has been classified as "high-risk" by doctors.
Gülten emphasized that the birth is critical for both the mother and the baby, noting that his request to "attend the birth" was rejected by the Prison Administration and the Execution Prosecutor's Office on the grounds that no such leave exists in the regulations.
OFFICIAL APPLICATIONS UNANSWERED
In a letter he wrote, Gülten stated, "When I was arrested, my wife was six months pregnant. Now the birth is approaching. I want to not leave her alone and to witness the birth of my daughter. I have written petitions to the Ministry, but I have not yet received a response. The Prison Administration and the Execution Prosecutor's Office rejected my petition, saying, 'Birth is not listed among the situations where compassionate leave can be granted in the regulations.'"