International Peace Commission to Imrali stresses need to end the isolation on Ocalan

 The  commission visits Turkey every year in order to hold a meeting with leader Ocalan, and this year the International Initiative for Abdullah Ocalan's Freedom and Peace for Kurdistan and Britain's trade unions completed their preparations over two days, on virtual communication sites in Turkey for the largest international peace body in Imrali.

 The commission met with representatives of political parties, human rights organizations, associations of detainees, families of prisoners, and lawyers in the Office of the Al-Asir Right office.

 The legal rights of the leader Abdullah Ocalan are violated

 The International Peace Commission issued to Imrali a statement about the violations against Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali prison, which said:

 The human rights violations codified by the commission are as follows:

 Abdullah Ocalan has been detained for 23 years, in violation of international law and human rights agreements in Imrali, the isolation on Imrali Island is applied to all prisons in Turkey, isolation prisons are established in the form of a letter (F) and political prisoners are isolated under  severe disciplinary sanctions.

 In this case, political prisoners are subjected to ill-treatment and torture, sick prisoners are not seriously treated, and exposed to sexual harassment, physical torture and crimes of all kinds by prison guards and soldiers.

 In Turkey there is no freedom of thought, and thousands of people are constantly persecuted, arrested, detained for long periods without trial, and then given harsh prison sentences for political reasons.

 Leader Ocalan's legal defense right is being violated, as his lawyers announced that they had not obtained information about him, since March 25, 2021.

 Appeal to the European Committee Against Torture (CPT) and the Turkish state

 “In August 2020, the European Committee Against Torture (CPT) announced that it does not accept solitary confinement on Imrali Island and in order to rectify this situation, quick steps must be taken without delay. After this announcement, Turkish officials tightened isolation on Ocalan, and the Turkish government banned meetings  with his family, lawyers and phone calls. We in turn call on the Committee Against Torture (CPT) to adopt its statements in order for Turkey to respect international laws and allow the leader Abdullah Ocalan to meet with his lawyer.

 The Commission is seriously concerned;  Because Turkish officials do not pay any attention to the proposals of international human rights organizations, as well as the silence of international organizations, the failure of the delegation of the European Committee against Torture to visit Imrali, and the failure to give information about Abdullah Ocalan's health.

 Peace will not prevail without the physical freedom of leader Ocalan

 Despite leader Ocalan's insistence on achieving peace and democracy, so far he has made statements for peace and agreement. If Abdullah Ocalan is not around the dialogue table, peace will not be achieved.

 People who signed the statement:

 Andre Kosundi, GFTU Governing Body Member, Barbara Spinley, President of the Bar Association for Democratic Human Rights in the World (ELDH), Christina Blower, International Officer of the British Trade Union, Claire Jones, Secretary General of the SUE, Dimitri Rossopoulos the Educator  Editor, writer and environmentalist, Doug Nicholas, President of the GFTU, Federico Venturini, Researcher at the Italian University of Odin, Karina Westerheim, Professor at the Faculty of Education of the Norwegian University of Bergen, President of the Civic Council in the European Union - Turkey, Laura Quagliolo, Italian editor and writer, Mahmoud Batel, academic, jurist and human rights activist in South Africa, Margaret Owen Ope, British lawyer, Melanie Gangl, lawyer and lecturer at the Department of International Human Rights, Radha Dr. Souza, legal professor, lawyer and writer, Professor.  The Legal Department of the University of Westminster, Britain, Sharifa Gurn Uysal, Co-Chair of the Bar Association of Europe for International Human Rights and Democracy (ELDH), Shavana Taj, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Galler (TUC), Thomas Geoffrey Melli, Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge, Ogumundor Johnson  Former Icelandic Minister of Justice.

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