ISTANBUL – Lawyers of Asrın Law Firm applied to meet with their client, PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, whom they had not heard from for 40 months.

 

The lawyers of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is held under absolute isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison and has not been heard from for 40 months, made a new application to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and İmralı Penitentiary Institution Directorate, demanding a meeting with their client. 

 

The applications were made by Asrın Law Firm lawyers Suzan Akipa, İbrahim Bilmez, Emran Emekçi and Cengiz Yürekli. The lawyers also applied for their other clients in Imralı, Omer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş.

 

OBSTACLE TO MEETINGS

 

While most of the lawyers' requests for meetings with their clients were not answered, the reason given was the "disciplinary penalties" imposed by the Bursa Execution Judgeship. Meetings are prevented by "lawyer visit ban" decisions given every 6 months. 

 

PERMANENT VIEW BAN DECISIONS

 

The ban on visiting lawyers during the State of Emergency (OHAL) declared in July 2016 after the coup attempt was continued until February 2018. After this date, lawyers' meeting requests began to be banned for 6-month periods.

 

The decision to ban access to lawyers for the last 6 months for Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı was given by the Bursa Execution Judgeship on May 3, 2024.

 

With the latest ban decision, it has been decided to impose a 6-month ban on seeing a lawyer for Abdullah Öcalan at least 13 times in the last 8 years.