NEWS CENTER – The UK-based “Liberty Union Campaign for Abdullah Öcalan” held an emergency press conference in front of the European Parliament in Brussels regarding the isolation on Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The executives of the campaign, which includes unions with millions of members, pointed out that People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been kept in solitary confinement for 25 years, and reminded that nothing has been heard from him for more than two years. The organizers of the international campaign stated that there are serious concerns about the health and safety of the Kurdish People’s Leader. An emergency press conference was organized as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) of the Council of Europe did not provide any information and to end this terrible situation.
The press release included information on the isolation on Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and on international law.
While a giant banner demanding freedom for Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan was unfurled in the Luxembourg square opposite the Parliament, dozens of people attended the press release with Abdullah Öcalan posters in their hands. Representatives of the campaigns carried out in Northern and Eastern Syria and Southern Kurdistan for the freedom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan also attended the meeting and called on the European Union and the CPT of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture to take action. Representatives and members of Kurdish associations from many European countries, especially representatives of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) and KONGRA-GEL, attended the meeting.
GLYYN: ISOLATION IS AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS
The moderator was Sarah Glyyn, the writer and Permanent Watch Representative for Abdullah Öcalan. Glyyn noted that since 1999, when Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan was taken prisoner, most of his captivity has been spent in de facto absolute isolation, drawing attention to the isolation conditions. Stating that no contact could be made with the prisoners in Imrali for over two years, Glyyn said, “Isolation is against international human rights principles.” Glyyn, who also reminded the Treaty of Lausanne 100 years ago and drew attention to the problems it caused, underlined that a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue is not possible without the isolation on Abdullah Öcalan being lifted.
DUBINS: Isolation NOT ACCEPTABLE
Simon Dubins, the International Director of Unite the Union (UNITE) in England, reminded him of the last visit of the CTP by saying, “We are asking what happened to Mr. Abdullah Öcalan” and asked him to provide information.
Noting that the isolation has no legal basis, Dubins urged the EU and CPT to take action and ensure that information is received. Underlining that it is unacceptable to keep prisoners in Imrali under these conditions, Dubins noted that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan is of “key importance” in the solution of the Kurdish issue.
Antonio Amoroso from Italy’s CUP People’s Union emphasized the importance of this conference and talked about the importance of Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
HARD CRITICAL FROM ARRICALE TO CPT
Attorney Michaela Arricale of the Center for Research and Investigation for Democracy, CRED, harshly criticized the CPT’s silence, saying that the CPT had not fulfilled its responsibility. Asking what the CPT is doing and questioning its function, Arricale asked the following question: “What happened to Abdullah Öcalan?”
The next speaker is Rome VIII from Italy. Mayor Amadeo Ciaccheri drew attention to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s democratic confederalism project and called on Italy and the European Union to put pressure on Abdullah Öcalan’s conditions to be improved.
Laura de Bonfils, the Brussels representative of the Italian institution ARCI, stated that they asked about the conditions of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and demanded that human rights violations be stopped.
LAB Representative from Basque Country Vicente Jose Rekondo emphasized that Abdullah Öcalan is the guarantor of a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.
CPT MUST INFORM
Trade Union Congress (STUK) Scotland President Mike Arnott expressed his union’s solidarity with Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish people and said, “Nelson Mandela was able to meet with his family, we want the same for Abdullah Öcalan.” Recalling the last visit of the CPT, Arnott said, “We want information to be given to us, his family, the Kurdish people. What happened to Abdullah Öcalan?” he said.
AP MUST PRINT
Glasgow Assembly Member Rosa Salih from Scotland noted that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been in isolation for 24 years, contrary to international human rights, and said, “This is a human rights issue.” “We call on the European Parliament to put pressure on the Turkish government,” Salih added.
THREE REQUESTS FROM KLUTTE
Finally, Jürgen Klute from the European United Left/Northern Greens Group stated that they gathered because of the silence of the European institutions and listed their demands as follows: “The isolation must end, Abdullah Öcalan must be free, the war against Syria/Rojava must be stopped.”
WE ARE CONCERNED FOR YOUR SAFETY AND HEALTH
The organizers also prepared a press release regarding the meeting. Reminding that 29 months have passed since the last contact, the components of the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Trade Union Campaign said, “The last face-to-face meeting with one of the other three prisoners in Imrali took place in March 2020. It has been reported that Mr. Abdullah Öcalan received unidentified threatening letters from the Imrali prison administration. These letters allegedly contained death threats. “After these extremely serious allegations, we are even more concerned for his safety and health.”
NO LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR DISCIPLINES
Noting that a new “disciplinary sanction” was imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners on July 18, 2023, the organizers said, “The so-called ‘disciplinary sanctions’ are not based on any applicable Turkish or European legal framework. These are politicized measures aimed at prolonging the isolation policy. For example, it was reported that such a disciplinary sanction was given because Mr. Abdullah Öcalan spoke too loudly with other prisoners.”
MANDELA’S RULES ARE VIOLATION
“These facts suggest that the Turkish government may be in violation of a number of key international legal frameworks,” the statement said.
Reminding the criteria of the United Nations ‘Mandela Rules’ for the definition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the statement said, “We are extremely concerned about the violation of these rules.”
CPT’S FINAL REPORT IS SUSPICIOUS
The statement continued:
“We are also concerned about the position of the Council of Europe and in particular its Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). The CPT has published more than 30 reports on prison conditions in Imrali. These reports consistently criticize Turkey’s failure to meet binding domestic international legal standards and urge the Turkish authorities to improve prison conditions. We support these recommendations and reiterate the call for their immediate implementation.
But the CPT can and should do more to fulfill its mission in this context. The last CPT delegation visited Imrali prison in September 2022. The CPT published its General Report on the visit in March 2023.
We are concerned about the reliability of the information contained in this report. The CPT claimed to have met with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. However, the Turkish Minister of Justice claimed that Abdullah Öcalan refused the visit. Therefore, we request concrete information about the nature and details of the visit from the CPT.
The aforementioned legal and institutional disruptions do not only concern the rights of a person. The isolation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is hampering efforts to peacefully resolve the Kurdish conflict in Turkey, one of the longest-running and deadliest conflicts in the modern Middle East. Therefore, it affects stability, security and human rights at the regional scale. In this context, we call for the immediate adoption of the following policy recommendations.”
SUGGESTIONS AND CALLS
A number of suggestions were also listed in the statement.
To the Government of Türkiye:
Implement without delay the previous recommendations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the European Court of Human Rights (Öcalan No. 2) on prison conditions in Imrali; This includes:
– Prisoners’ right to organize;
– Prisoners’ right to see their lawyers and family;
– Effective legal means to challenge prison conditions; etc –
Abolition of aggravated life imprisonment, which is contrary to Article 3 of the ECHR.
To the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe:
Discuss the Turkish Government’s persistent refusal to follow the CPT’s recommendations;
Outline the next steps going forward to hold the Turkish Government accountable.
To the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT):
About the Committee’s last visit to İmralı
a) Make a special statement as to whether the reported meeting with Abdullah Öcalan was held.
b) Provide concrete information, including details of this interview.
To all relevant local and international political actors:
Work for the release of Abdullah Öcalan under conditions that allow him to play a role in the negotiations for a lasting, just and democratic political solution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey.
SIGNATURES
The press conference call included the signatures of the following names:
Supporting organizations: Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), Cosatu, Cenfederacion Intersindical Galega (CIG), LAB, Steilas, Confederazione Unitaria di Base, CGT, Cobas, Confederacion Intersendical, Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya (IAC), General Federation of Trade Unions ( GFTU), Intersindical Valenciana, STUC, Euskal Sindikatua (ELA), CRED, CSI, SAT, Arci, Pour une Ecologie Populaire et Sociale (PEPS), TUC, France-Kurdistan, OSTA, 25deMarzo, Cobas Sardegna.
