Jurist: Isolation is illegal and immoral and must be ended immediately

For 22 years, Turkey has been imposing severe isolation on Leader Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali Prison. He is not allowed to meet with his lawyer and family.

The leader had not met his lawyer since July 27th, 2011, until Co-Chair of the Kurdistan Community Conference Lelya Guven went on hunger strike, which lasted 200 days, in the 2019 prison, after which the leader met his lawyer and family five times, and was banned from meetings after the 7th of August 2019.

In this context, Hawar news agency ANHA met with the co-chair of Jazirah Bar Union, Shaheen Lali, and its member Bashira Najam al-Din.

Shaheen Lali, noting that isolation is a continuation of the international conspiracy against Leader Ocalan in 1999, said that "all actions and decisions taken since the arrest of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, to the isolation imposed so far, demonstrate the distance of the international community from the law. This isolation demonstrates that the decision is political, and the aim of the Turkish State is to undermine the will of the Kurdish people. "

Shaheen Lali, referring to the recent telephone call with Leader Ocalan, said that "Mr. Ocalan's health with the spread of the Corona virus has created fear in society at large. Mr. Ocalan contacted his family on March 25th by telephone, and the right to meet and visit is available throughout the world.
Shaheen Lali continued, "Legally, all prisoners have the right to meet with their lawyers and relatives, and this cannot be prevented, but so far Turkey is violating laws and human rights charters in this context."

'The Committee against Torture and the European Court of Human Rights are affected by political decisions ′
Lawyer Shaheen Lali criticized the silence of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee against Torture for their silence about the isolation imposed on Imrali Prison, and stated that "although they have issued dozens of reports on the isolation imposed on Imrali, there is a reason why they continue to be silent, namely, that they are under the full influence of political decisions, they condemn isolation practices, but do not impose any sanctions on Turkey."

"In 2016, we formed a committee of 35 lawyers, on the isolation in Imrali, which began with a campaign to gather signatures for it, and then we encountered difficulties, and we were unable to reach our goal, and then we announced at the Bar Union that we were ready to be lawyers for Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, and our work in this context continues."

Finally, Shaheen Lali said, "The extreme isolation on Imrali is not normal. "We have sent our message to the Committee against Torture via e-mail, that isolation is not normal, applied not only to Mr. Ocalan, but to the entire Kurdish people, and aimed at the freedom of the entire Kurdish people. In order to end this isolation, we will do everything we have as lawyers, and we will continue to work accordingly."

Everyone must stand against this isolation.

For her part, Lawyer Bashira Najam al-Din noted that the Turkish State imposes strict isolation on Leader Abdullah Ocalan, in accordance with its fascist laws, and added that "in accordance with international laws, Leader Abdullah Ocalan must be free."

Bashira Najam al-Din said that the imposition of isolation on Leader Abdullah Ocalan was a crime in accordance with international human rights laws. She continued, "Recently, the isolation on Leader Abdullah Ocalan has been tightened. I therefore appeal to all those working in the field of human rights to work and take serious steps to ensure that Leader Ocalan can meet with his family and lawyers. "

She noted that the Turkish State feared the spread of the thought of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, and therefore stressed the isolation, and concluded by saying that "my appeal to all human rights organizations and institutions to stand up to this severe isolation, which is in no way acceptable."

T/S

ANHA