JOURNALIST Kibriye Evren is “wasting away” in a Turkish prison, according to her carer who warned that “time is ticking away” for hunger strikers who have now passed the critical threshold.

Senay Hayme explained that those in Diyarbakir Type E Prison were experiencing “serious health conditions” and were now barely able to walk, suffering blurred vision and cramps.

She was held on the same wing as Jin News journalist Ms Evren, who has been on hunger strike for more than 140 days in protest over the continued isolation of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

“They were doing very badly when I was released,” Ms Hayme told the Mesopotamia News Agency. “They had already passed the critical threshold. Time is ticking against them. Those who started the hunger strike on December 16 can barely walk. 

“They cannot make it to the visitation room. We carried them and brought them to their families. They also had difficulty in seeing. They are dizzy all the time and have cramps.”

Ms Evren faces charges of “membership of a terrorist organisation” and “spreading terrorist propaganda” with prosecutors alleging she is part of the organisational structure of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), operating its press department.

Authorities are seeking a 20-year prison term for the journalist, linking her to support for the PKK, which Ankara deems a terrorist organisation. 

A court refused to release her from prison on health grounds in April and she will stand trial again tomorrow. She has refused to appear until Mr Ocalan’s isolation is brought to an end.

Ms Evren was detained last October, based on testimonies from secret witnesses, with her journalistic work and social media posts used as evidence against her.

In April Ms Evren’s relatives reported that the journalist had started spitting blood, a sign of a serious deterioration in her health.

There are at least 13 journalists known to have joined the hunger strike campaign in Turkish prisons – Ms Evren, Gulistan Ike, Dilbirin Turgut, Reyhan Hacioglu, Ozlem Seyhan, Nedim Turfent, Ugur Akgul, Ziya Ataman, Abdulkadir Turay, Cetin Kursun, Mehmet Gules, Idris Yilmaz and Idris Sayilgan.

Supporters are being urged to raise solidarity and the newly formed Journalists for Democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan initiative is asking people to write letters to the prisoners.

Ms Evren can be written to at: Kibriye Evren, Diyarbakir E Tipii Cezaevi, Mevlana Halit Mahallesi, Emek Cd, 21080 Baglar/Diyarbakir, Turkey.