For 1st time, Committee against Torture answers ANF's questions regarding isolation

Al-Furat news agency (ANF) inquired with an official from the European Committee against Torture about the isolation of leader Abdullah Ocalan, the responsibilities of international institutions, and the violations being committed. During the meeting,

ANF mentioned the efforts made to conduct the interview and stated, We sought a meeting with the Committee against Torture concerning the isolation in Imrali since it is the point of criticism and the interlocutor in the case. On July 9, we requested a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Committee against Torture, Hans Wolff, who was part of the last delegation to visit Imrali. However, our request was declined with the explanation that no meeting would take place until the report on the last visit to Imrali is issued.

Due to our strong insistence, answers to our questions were accepted in writing, and we were requested to publish our interview in the name of the Committee against Torture Secretary-General, Hugh Chetwynd.

The dialogue text included the following:

The last visit of the Committee against Torture to Imrali prison was in September 2022. Has the report not been published yet simply because Turkey has not agreed to it?

The convention established by the European Committee against Torture is based on two principles: cooperation and confidentiality. Therefore, the European Committee against Torture can only publish the report after the state party's approval.

- No information has been received regarding the detainees in Imrali, which has raised significant concerns among the public. Is the committee addressing this issue?

The Committee continues to engage in dialogue with Turkish authorities, but this dialogue is confidential. However, similar to visits in 2019 and prior, the delegation did not receive any allegations of mistreatment of detainees by prison officials at Imrali. On the contrary, all detainees confirmed that the staff behaved appropriately with them.

- Given the lack of information about the detainees, is the Committee against Torture planning to revisit Imrali prison?

The European Committee against Torture visited Imrali a total of 9 times in the years 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022, each time approaching it independently. If the European Committee against Torture deems it necessary, a new visit to Imrali may be decided upon.

Lawyers representing Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the other 3 detainees have pointed out that there has been no contact with the Imrali detainees for over 3 years. Is the committee aware of this complete isolation, and what actions are being taken?

The Committee closely monitors the situation of Abdullah Ocalan and the three other detainees. Aside from ongoing dialogue with national authorities, the European Committee against Torture maintains regular contact with Abdullah Ocalan's lawyers.

Are the detainees in Imrali exposed to absolute isolation?

The Committee against Torture stated in its 2019 visit report that all detainees are imprisoned in isolation most of the time (i.e. 24 hours a day, including weekends, i.e. 159 out of 168 hours a week), and according to the European Committee against Torture, such a situation is completely unacceptable.

Detainees have been deprived of their right to meet with their families and lawyers for a long time. How does the Committee against Torture, which fights against torture and ill-treatment, assess this situation? Isn't this a violation of the agreement?

The communication of detainees in Imrali prison with the outside world has always been the subject of wide-ranging and long-term dialogue between the Committee and the Turkish authorities. The Committee has stated several times that preventing visits by lawyers and family members is unacceptable and is a clear violation of international human rights standards and conventions. The Committee against Torture mentioned this matter several times in its conversations with the authorities.

In its previous reports, the European Committee against Torture made many recommendations to the Turkish authorities to improve the conditions of Imrali prison. Did Turkey act cautiously in accordance with these recommendations of the Committee against Torture?

The European Committee against Torture systematically requests a state's national authorities to respond to reports sent to it, and the measures taken by the government in order to assess the issues that have entered the agenda should be set out in this response. The Turkish government's response to the recommendations contained in the 2019 report is available on the Committee's website. No information other than that contained in the authorities' response is published.

Unanswered questions... Regarding the legal violations against Imrali, we inquired whether the European Committee against Torture would issue a statement to the public concerning Turkey in compliance with its agreement and whether it would take a more active role in addressing the conditions of captivity that leader Abdullah Ocalan is facing. However, the European Committee against Torture did not respond to these two questions. The two questions left unanswered by the committee are as follows:

Recently, the European Committee against Torture issued a public statement against Azerbaijan (in line with Article 10(2) of the Convention). Therefore, does the European Committee against Torture intend to make a similar statement concerning Turkey?

This question has not been answered. The former presidents of the European Committee against Torture, Mauro Palma and Mark Neve, whom we have previously interviewed and who have visited Imrali several times, stated that Imrali is not a suitable place to be a prison. They suggested that the European Committee against Torture must play a more active role in addressing the conditions in which Abdullah Ocalan lives. Meetings with lawyers are always prevented under various pretexts and arguments on Imrali Island. Do you think, according to the European Committee against Torture, Imrali is considered a suitable place to be a prison for the implementation of sentences? Is the European Committee against Torture considering playing a more effective role regarding the conditions in which Abdullah Ocalan is living?

T/ Satt.

ANHA