Vybz Kartel, a Jamaican musician, is reportedly battling a life-threatening illness and heart condition while serving a life sentence in prison. According to FOX 5 New York, the outlet obtained a medical affidavit detailing the musician’s ailing health. The affidavit reveals that Vybz Kartel’s Graves’ Disease and heart condition are declining, and his health decline could be fatal if he does not receive medical treatment.
Vybz Kartel’s attorney, Isat Buchanan, detailed the conditions the musician faces while incarcerated. He explained that these conditions also impact Kartel’s well-being. Vybz Kartel is spending 23 hours in solitary lockdown for an alleged violation of cellphone use, and his cell has no air circulation, no water, and only offers a bucket as a toilet. Buchanan revealed that Kartel’s illnesses are “life-threatening” and explained the impact of the conditions in the cell.
“He’s in a cell, and if you can picture a brick oven, because that’s how those cells are built… Mr. Palmer’s illness is actually life-threatening.”
Furthermore, Kartel’s lawyer also detailed the musician’s debilitating physical shape. He revealed that Vybz Kartel’s neck was swollen, and even an 18.5-inch shirt could not close the collar around his neck. His face is also swollen, and his eyes protrude due to the condition. Private physician Dr. Karen Phillips, who constructed the musician’s medical report, explained that his Graves’ Disease has not gone into remission, and his “two heart conditions” remain present. Phillips reportedly recommends that Vybz Kartel receive surgery treatment “as soon as possible.”
Buchanan reveals that Vybz Kartel is “fighting for his life,” and the situation is dire. He expressed concern that the 23-hour lockdown order and lack of proper medical care could lead to Kartel’s demise. Buchanan stated that he does not want to receive a call saying that Kartel “succumbed to his illness” because he was under lockdown and unable to breathe.
Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Azim Palmer, was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 after being convicted of the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. As reported by The Guardian, Kartel is actively appealing the conviction in a United Kingdom court.
Kartel’s family also issued a statement to Urban Islandz regarding the matter. In their statement, they detailed the prison conditions that the musician faces. According to the family, only three inmates, including Vybz Kartel, were put on 23-hour lockdown due to the alleged discovery of three cell phones on the block. The family expressed that the lack of proper ventilation and extreme heat conditions in the cell were taking a toll on Kartel’s health.