​​​​​​​Professor Mahmud Patel: The biggest war is in Imrali

 No information has been received about the leader, Abdullah Ocalan, since March 25, 2021. The requests submitted by his lawyers and his family to meet with him are rejected under the pretext of disciplinary sanctions.

 The Turkish Execution Court in Bursa imposed another "disciplinary punishment" for another 6 months on leader Ocalan and the other detainees in Imrali prison.

 The Chair of the Kurdish Working Group on Human Rights in South Africa spoke;  Mahmoud Patel told our agency about the strict isolation imposed on the leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

 "The Turkish state continues isolation in order to preserve its fascist regime as a member of NATO." With these words, Professor Mahmud Patel pointed out that the conspiring forces seek to preserve the international capitalist system and subjugate the peoples who struggle for freedom, justice, equality and dignity through isolation.

 "They seek to break the will of Imrali"

  Patel explained that the Turkish occupation state seeks to preserve its fascist regime thanks to NATO, and pointed out that the leader Ocalan did not accept this and resisted it, but the United States of America, Britain and NATO sought to break the will of the leader Ocalan through Turkey.

 Patel reminded that the leader Ocalan is detained because of the struggle for the freedom of the Kurdish people and all the peoples of the Middle East. He mentioned that the thought of the leader Ocalan and his resistance inspire revolutionaries all over the world.

 He said, "The leader Ocalan has always worked, whether before or after his arrest, to democratize Turkey and solve the Kurdish issue. He embraced, defended and propagated the values ​​established by the revolutionaries, socialists and democratic forces in Turkey and the world."

 'Turkey is isolating everyone'

 He explained that the leader Ocalan is the biggest obstacle to the fascist regime of the AKP and pointed out that there is a psychological war going on in Imrali. He stated that the main war of the AKP system and the national movement against the Kurds, Turkish peoples, socialists, democrats and free forces is taking place in Imrali.

 Patel commented on all these circumstances, noting that isolation is imposed on everyone in Turkey. He continued, "All those who say they are against the fascism of the Justice and Development Party and the National Movement, and who want to achieve democracy in Turkey and resolve crises through democratic methods, must stand against isolation.  The measure of democracy and freedom today is opposition to this isolation. This is a struggle to convey the voice of Leader Ocalan to everyone. Those who do not oppose isolation cannot say that they are against fascism in Turkey and the world."

 “Isolation is a violation of rights, and it is far from legal conventions."

Mahmud Patel explained that isolation is one of the worst forms of torture and called on the United Nations to take action against it.  He stated that isolation is a violation of rights, and continued by saying: "In order to bring peace and stability to Turkey and the region, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Committee against Torture should investigate immediately and urgently and adapt the conditions of the detention center in which the leader Abdullah is being held, as stipulated in the Convention  The United Nations to combat torture and other conventions against injustice and inhuman or degrading practices.The demand for the freedom of the leader Ocalan is legitimate and represents the Kurdish people because he is able to open the way to peace in Turkey and the region.We know from our experiences in South Africa that releasing the legitimate and credible leadership is a necessary condition for every peace process, continuing to do so is a violation of political rights and a violation of international standards and legal covenants related to political detainees."

 “The Committee against Torture did not act according to its official report.”

 Recalling the Committee against Torture (CPT) 2020 report, Patel said: “The conditions prevailing in Imrali and the complete ban on communications are a form of impeachment. The Committee against Torture has made it clear that such a situation is unacceptable and is openly in violation of international human rights standards.  The Committee Against Torture found the law to implement penalties and security measures inappropriate and that they should be reformed not only in Imrali prison but the prison system in general. All applications submitted by lawyers and the family have been rejected since October 2014. This is a clear violation of basic human rights.”

 Thousands of signatures have been collected

 The Kurdish Human Rights Working Group headed by Mahmud Patel worked with human rights organizations, trade unions (COSATU, NEHAWU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) for a long time for the bodily freedom of leader Ocalan.

 Among the many regional and global initiatives, they launched a campaign during the past year to push the United Nations to take action in order to achieve the physical freedom of the leader Ocalan.  During which they collected more than 150,000 letters and thousands of emails to the Secretary-General of the United Nations;  Antonio Guterres highlighted the inhumane prison situation that the leader is resisting.

 “It is a moral and political responsibility.”

Patel explained the purpose of their actions, saying, “We have a moral and political mission in South Africa to ensure that the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan is achieved so that his people, like Leader Mandela, can enjoy and spread human dignity, fundamental freedoms and basic human rights in a democratic society.”

 During December 2021, the Council of Europe demanded that Turkey implement measures regarding the leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is being held in solitary confinement in Imrali prison.  The Turkish state was instructed to act in accordance with the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, especially with regard to severe prison sentences, to take measures to stop the violation of human rights and to submit a report on the latest developments in this regard by September.

 Insisting on war against the instructions of the Council of Europe

 Battle stated that, contrary to the decision of the Council of Europe;  The Turkish occupation state is using chemical weapons, tactical nuclear bombs and other types of bombs against guerrillas, and all this in the shadow of international silence.

 During his speech, Patel referred to the crimes committed by the Turkish occupying state in Rojava and all regions with the help of NATO and said: "If NATO had not accepted this, the Turkish state would not have had the strength to continue its crimes."

 Patel explained that the Committee against Torture and the European Court of Human Rights are trying to escape from the case of leader Abdullah Ocalan and stated that the peoples of the world should take action in order to achieve the physical freedom of leader Ocalan, because this would allow leader Ocalan to negotiate with the Turkish state as a free person.

 'Everyone should stand against it'

 Patel said that at such a critical time, the people of the world should call on the United Nations General Assembly to launch an initiative to facilitate peace talks and to compel the Turkish state to act in accordance with international law.

 Professor Mahmud Patel concluded his speech by saying: “Governments, political parties, human rights organizations, unions and human rights activists must stand up to the aggression and occupation of the Turkish state. The peoples of the world must also call on the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe and the League of Arab States to act.  Against this immediate and urgent violation of international human rights and condemn this crime of aggression and hold Turkey responsible.”

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ANHA