The psychological toll of Ali Albokhari’s imprisonment in Turkey has intensified after the seafarer witnessed a fellow inmate attempt to take his own life inside their prison cell. The incident has added to growing concerns about his mental health and personal safety, according to his wife, Elena Albokhari, who continues to campaign for his release.
Ali reportedly informed Elena that his cellmate, who was experiencing severe distress, attempted to hang himself earlier this week. The incident allegedly took place in front of the chief mate.
The prisoner survived after prison guards intervened in time and managed to remove him from the noose. However, the episode unfolded directly in front of Ali, leaving him exposed to another deeply distressing experience.
“He didn’t die,” Elena explained, adding that the guards arrived in time to save the prisoner. She also confirmed that the inmate was subsequently removed from the cell, although no further information about his condition has emerged.
According to Elena, this was not the first incident of this nature inside the prison. However, the latest episode was particularly disturbing because Ali witnessed the suicide attempt himself.
Prison climate of increasing violence
The incident comes amid reports of ongoing tensions and violence inside the prison. Fights apparently are common among inmates, and one prisoner recently was seriously injured from a knife attack to the face.
Elena said that her husband had seen prisoners being beaten up violently, leaving blood all over the place.
“My husband has suffered a lot of psychological damage. He has also seen several prisoners savagely beaten, their blood splattering around them. “These are horrible experiences that no human being should have to go through,” she said.
Besides violence, Elena is worried about the psychological impact of what she calls her husband’s unjust imprisonment. A recent report published by Human Rights At Sea also examined the circumstances of his case.
Ali reportedly tries to protect himself from the prison environment by being quiet, closing his eyes and avoiding what is happening around him. But the unpredictable behavior of his fellow inmates continues to make him fear for his life.
“He says he just tries to sit still and close his eyes and not watch what’s going on around him. But at the same time, he’s really afraid for his life because he’s surrounded by very unstable and unpredictable people who can suddenly become violent and attack one another without any warning,” Elena said.
Three years of legal wrangling and growing doubts of diplomatic support
Ali was arrested and convicted in Turkey and has now been in detention for three years and given a 30 year jail sentence.
During all this time, Elena has tried to draw the attention of the international community to what she considers serious injustices in the process. She is concerned about the lack of hard evidence presented at the trial that links Ali and his co-defendant, Captain Marko Bekavac, to the drugs found on the Turkish-operated ship Phoenician-M.
The case also has attracted renewed attention since Captain Bekavac was freed last year in what Elena considers suspicious circumstances.
The Supreme Court of Turkey upheld the convictions of both men in a narrow 3-2 majority ruling, although the latter was issued some six months after Bekavac had already been released.
But Elena says reassurances from Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have done little to secure her husband’s release. Conversely, Croatia’s diplomatic intervention meant that Captain Bekavac went home to his family directly, rather than being transferred to a prison in his home country.
The Turkish judiciary gave no explanation for the captain’s release before the Supreme Court upheld a 30-year sentence.
Elena asks about Finland’s commitment to its citizen
For Elena, the difference in how the two seamen are being treated has become a key issue. She believes that Finland should show the same diplomatic determination as Croatia.
“With the help of diplomatic intervention at the highest level, Croatia has secured the return of Captain Bekavac to his family, not to a Croatian prison. “Why hasn’t Finland done the same for one of its own citizens?” she asked.
Her concerns have now become a more general question of how far Finland is responsible for Ali, especially because his imprisonment exposes him to a dangerous and psychologically damaging environment that is only getting worse.
“Does it matter that my husband was not born in Finland in terms of the commitment level of the Finnish government to protect his life and rights?” Elena asked.
Ali is still serving a 30-year sentence and his latest prison ordeal has intensified calls for more attention to his safety, mental health and the diplomatic work surrounding his case.
