CPT must announce its report immediately

  • actual
  • 10:23 5 December 2022
  • |
img
ISTANBUL - ÖHD Co-Chair İlknur Alcan stated that law and international law have been disabled in İmralı Prison, and that the CPT, whose existence has become suspicious, should immediately announce its report.
 
There has been no news for 20 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under heavy isolation conditions in İmralı F Type High Security Prison. The last visit to Imrali Island was carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) delegation between September 20-29. The CPT delegation, which came to Turkey between September 20-29 , announced that they visited Imrali and met with Abdullah Öcalan and 3 other detainees. The lawyers of Asrın Law Office, who had a face-to-face meeting with the CPT delegation on October 13, 2022, stated that the CPT officials did not provide information on Abdullah Öcalan's conditions. In the statement, it was stated that it was heard that Abdullah Öcalan did not attend the meeting during the CPT's visit.
 
İlknur Alcan, Co-Chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), evaluated the CPT's visit to İmralı and Abdullah Öcalan's stance. 
 
LAW HAS BEEN DISABLED
 
Pointing out that law and international law is disabled in Imrali Prison, Alcan reminded that Imrali Prison has been managed with personal status and practices since February 1999. Stating that Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysi Aktaş, who are in the same prison as Öcalan, are also being held under extraordinary isolation conditions, Alcan emphasized that there has been no communication with Öcalan since March 25, 2021. Alcan continued: “Even the minimum rights arising from the law are not used in Imrali. Despite the clear provision regarding lawyer-client meetings in the CMK, requests for meetings are rejected by the administration in an unfair and unlawful manner. Legal rules are norms that are generally regulated for everyone. However, the restriction or non-implementation of these rights for certain groups and individuals is not only against national and international legislation, but also against the principle of equality. Mr. Öcalan has the same rights as convicts in other prisons. Otherwise, the principle of equality cannot be mentioned, the rule of law cannot be mentioned, it cannot be said that there is no discrimination. The people who are most dedicated with the rules of law are law practitioners and administrators. However, it is clear that law enforcement and prison administrations are the ones committing the most serious violations in the current situation.”
 
LAWS ARE SHELVED
 
Emphasizing that Öcalan's access to lawyers and family has been blocked since 2011, Alcan said, "Mr. Öcalan cannot enjoy any of the rights that a normal prisoner in Turkey has. His lawyers learn about the disciplinary punishment he received because his right to access a lawyer is denied, by chance, from the execution judge. Their lawyers cannot make a legal application against disciplinary penalties. This is the case not only for Mr. Öcalan, but also for other detainees in İmralı. We are faced with completely exceptional, arbitrary and private law practices in İmralı Prison. Neither the law nor the constitution is applied anymore, and no international law is being applied, in fact."
 
ÖCALAN'S STANCE
 
Regarding the Asrın Law Office's statement that "Mr. Öcalan did not meet with the CPT", Alcan said: "According to the statement of Asrın Law Office, the CPT announced that a visit was made to İmralı, although it was not on its schedule. It also stated that  Mr. Öcalan did not want to meet with them. Previously, state officials interrupted Mr. Öcalan's phone conversation with his brother. We can interpret Öcalan's feeling of not meeting with the CPT was a protest. This is a very natural right and whoever this prisoner is should enjoy this right. Unfortunately, although the CPT has determined in its previous visits that the isolation in Imrali Prison is against the prohibition of torture, nothing has changed since that day, in fact, the isolation conditions in Imrali have worsened. ”
   
CPT'S COMPETENCE IS IN QUESTION
 
Stating that the CPT has not fulfilled its duties and responsibilities, Alcan underlined that the CPT should share its report with the public in line with its findings in Imrali Prison. Alcan said, “Due to the CPT's duty, it comes and inspects the prisons and announces its report six months later. But they leave the authority for the report to be shared with the public to the state it visits. This situation puts the committee in a suspicious position. The CPT has determined that it violated the prohibition of torture on Imrali Island in its previous visits. In order to eliminate this, the CPT needs to announce this report and share it with the public and international institutions. The public also needs to raise their voices and take initiatives. The prohibition of preventing lawyers from meeting with their clients is against both their own laws and international conventions.
 
Underlining that 775 lawyers have applied for a visit and applied to the bar associations, Alcan told that the applications will continue.
 
MA / Esra Solin Dal 

View More Articles

07/12/2023
17:34 Journalist Müftüoğlu case: It was decided to continue detention before the end of the defense
14:07 Meeting application from Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers
14:06 Journalist Furkan Karabay detained
13:58 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' protest in prisons is on its 11th day
13:53 Rojnews: where is Journalist Süleyman Ahmet?
13:49 Prisoners: Our protest will continue until we achieve our goal
13:48 Sit-in activists: We will definitely succeed
13:01 Leyla Güven: Everyone should do their best before the death of prisoners
10:57 Women's unity is on the agenda of the Kurdistan Women's Union Platform
10:31 'Imrali's gate will be opened with struggle'
05/12/2023
16:02 One person killed in the bombardment in Bamerne
16:01 Number of prisons participating in the hunger strike reaches 106
15:27 Journalist Abdurrahman Gök released
15:01 House raids in Meletî
14:59 Hunger strike of prisoners is on its 9th day
14:56 'Urgent meeting' application for Abdullah Öcalan after the earthquake
14:27 Air attack on Bamernê
14:24 No news from the journalist detained by KDP for 42 days
13:31 Requests of Prisoners on hunger strike
13:20 Message from prison: Support our action
13:13 Justice Watch activists: End the isolation
12:54 Campaign for freedom of Abdullah Öcalan grows
12:39 Protests for Abdullah Öcalan in Northern and Eastern Syria
04/12/2023
17:13 A call from prisoner Çalım to support the hunger strike
17:11 Vartinis Case dropped due to the prescription
15:41 Justice Watch against isolation
14:31 Journalist Gök: I have a clear conscience
13:49 Prisoner Atak: Our people must support the hunger strike
13:48 Tanhan, who was released on his deathbed, lost his life
12:41 Prisoners' action for 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' is on its 8th day
12:33 Prisoner on hunger strike attacked
11:55 Journalist Gök being tried for a book written in the 1800s!
11:23 Lawyer whose arm was broken by the police told spoke
09:42 No news from Rojnews editor for 41 days
03/12/2023
17:01 House raids in Kerboaran: 1 person detained
16:54 House raids in Muş: 1 young person detained
16:49 Özgür Ülke commemoration: The perpetrators are clear
16:37 What strategy will HEDEP follow in the local elections?
13:08 Cases of Free Press journalists begin
11:40 'Hunger strike is a message to all social dynamics'
11:00 HEDEP MYK met for important agendas
10:52 No news from the detained Rojnews editor for 40 days
10:48 Prisoners' action for 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' is on its 7th day
10:47 Another criminal organization leader caught in Istanbul
01/12/2023
17:23 Call to 'end isolation' from the Peace Watch
17:09 90 percent disabled prisoner on hunger strike for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan
16:04 Elçiçek's remains delivered to her family in a cardboard box
15:48 Second application to the Constitutional Court for Can Atalay
15:47 Meeting application from Abdullah Öcalan's family and trustee
15:32 22 people detained in Bedlis