Dying prisoner Sabri Karatas granted compassionate release

Sabri Karatas. Photograph: Metropolitan Police
A terminally ill prisoner has been granted release on compassionate grounds with just a few days left to live.
Sabri Karatas, 36, an HMP Pentonville prisoner, is being treated for the final stages of bowel cancer in St Joseph’s Hospice.
His brother Ali told the Hackney Citizen that Sabri Karatas is now in a coma and requires constant care. Last week doctors gave him just 10 days left to live.
On 5 October the Karatas family’s solicitor submitted an application for early release of Mr Karatas from his 12 year sentence on compassionate grounds.
Yesterday the National Offender Management Team (NOMS), a division of the Ministry of Justice, granted the request and Mr Karatas was released at 4pm.
Ali Karatas, 45, said his brother’s condition has deteriorated severely in the last two days.
Commenting on his brother’s release, he said: “I was happy but I was crying on the inside. I was angry. They should have done it well before. Because they delayed it, his life is wasted.”
In May this year Sabri Karatas, from Homerton, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply 20 kilos of heroin, and three firearm offences.
Until this week Mr Karatas had been handcuffed to a prison officer at all times and watched by two guards while in the hospice, the Hackney Citizen reported yesterday.
Mr Karatas’s solicitor, Ozlem Erbil Cetin, described her client’s release as a relief. “It’s been a very stressful time for Sabri Karatas himself and the family.
“He was in such a state and yet he was chained to security guards at all times when he was in constant pain. The Karatas family can enjoy together the little precious time he has left.”
Demonstration
Ali Karatas is calling on the HMP Pentonville governor, Kevin Reilly to resign over the way his brother has been treated.
He claims Sabri was sent back to prison just five days after having major surgery, and that the prison prevented the correct administering of his chemotherapy treatment.
He said: “I raised the issue with the prison so many times. It seems like Pentonville is run like a banana republic.”
Mr Karatas has written to Turkish and Kurdish community groups and media and hopes people will join his family for a demonstration outside Hackney Town Hall tomorrow at 3pm.
“We are not going to let this matter drop. I don’t want the same thing to happen to anyone else.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Compassionate release is only granted in exceptional circumstances and is subject to very strict criteria — the primary consideration being that it will not put the public at risk.”
Hi we lost our friends of son sabri karatas on 29 /10-15 he was saffaring cancer also he was a prisoner he until he was a prisoner and saffaring bowl cancer they kept him all the time with chain . I feel sorry for him , this is out of order. They should release him before he past away his doctor explained to his oldest brother he has last 10 days. I feel sorry again for him he wouldn’t deserved this. Member of his family. They will go a had to carry this case mean while also al of his friends behind him. Family will go ahead world humanity service thanks
I am missing my brother very badly, and their is nothing that will bring him back, I am calling on HMP P’Ville Governor, Kevin Reilly, to Resign, and I am calling for the assistant Governor (head of security,), to resign as well. Sabri suffered a lot in HMP Pentonville… I as his youngest brother was fighting a lot for his release on compassionate grounds….
and also, I was involved in trying to get him to hospital I was on the phone for almost an hour to health care to get them to take Sabri Karatas to hospital. Pentonville Prison ignored us, they treated him like a criminal…. I am calling on the secretary of state for justice to resign, if our solicitor didn’t get involved, along with me putting pressure on our MP Meg Hillier, he would of died in handcuffs. Kevin Reilly, you will be held accountable as to how you treated Sabri.
also, if it wasn’t for our solicitor and me putting pressure on our MP, he would of died as a prisoner. MR Reilly, you will be held accountable for your actions….
as I said previously, Sabri has passed away, and I feel upset, annoyed, and angry with the prison HMP Pentonville. As Ali my oldest brother said, Pentonville is a banana republic, and I call on the Prison Omburdsman, to investigate Pentonville closely….