Call to compel Turkey to implement "Right to Hope" decisions regarding leader Ocalan

The Syrian Initiative for Leader Abdullah Ocalan's Freedom and the Syrian Lawyers' Initiative to Defend Leader Abdullah Ocalan sent on Wednesday a letter to the European Council, urging Turkey to comply with European judicial decisions regarding leader Abdullah Ocalan's "Right to Hope," in accordance with the principles of international law and international human rights conventions. The text of the letter included the following:

"In light of the international community's persistent efforts to solidify the foundations of the right to hope, and in accordance with international law, particularly Article 2 of the World Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (1950), Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), Articles 6 and 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998), and Article 6 of the Genocide Prevention Convention (1948), and considering the realities observed since 1970 and throughout its history, the duration during which the right to hope has been upheld in Europe has varied significantly, ranging from 10 to 25 years. Based on European judicial decisions regarding leader Abdullah Ocalan's right to hope, particularly the 2004 ruling and the final judgment issued in May 2025 confirming that his right had been violated, we urge Turkey to rectify this situation within one year, by September 2025. Failure to comply would result in a renewed deadline expiring in June 2026, especially given that his imprisonment has now entered its twenty-eighth year.

We address you out of absolute confidence in your unwavering commitment to upholding international law and preventing any undermining of the authority of international decisions, especially since denying the right to hope constitutes a form of torture and execution that deviates from traditional methods.

As we present this argument, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the human rights principles enshrined in international law. In light of this, we strongly urge that no further extensions be granted to the Turkish government and that it be compelled to release leader Abdullah Ocalan, enabling him to personally lead the peace process and build a democratic society as a free individual.