Lawyer: Right to hope must be accorded to Leader, international powers must intervene

Shahin Al-Ali, a member of the Lawyers' Union in the Euphrates Canton, clarified the Right to Hope Law and Leader Abdullah Ocalan's right to it to ANHA and said that the leader was kidnapped on February 15, 1999, following an international conspiracy that ended with his extradition to the Turkish state. He quoted that the leader has been detained in Imrali Prison for 26 years, in conditions not compatible with international human rights standards.

 Turkey and Violation of International Laws

Al-Ali noted that Turkey is also violating international laws and treaties it has signed, including Article 90, which obliges it to implement the European Court of Human Rights' decisions. It is, however, not respecting these provisions, except for its failure to respect its own constitutions and national laws regarding the rights of political prisoners.

Al-Ali explained that the leader's case was not simply legal, but also political in terms of the relationship between the Turkish state and the Kurdish people. He further stated that the leader had issued a historic appeal on February 27 calling for peace and the founding of a democratic society, but that the Turkish authorities had not done anything to advance this.

In concluding his remarks, Al-Ali reiterated the necessity for the international community to intervene in order to pressure Turkey to compel it to respect international agreements and to find a just political solution. He believed that regional stability is linked to ending this crisis in accordance with universal legal and human rights standards.

T/S

ANHA