Leader Abdullah Ocalan's lawyer: leader devotes all his days to free life

On the occasion of the birth of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, which falls on April 4, lawyer Faiq Özgür Arol spoke to ANHA's agency about the strict isolation imposed in Imrali, the resistance of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, and the legal struggle of lawyers.

Faiq Özgür Arol explained that he believes it is important to shed light on the truth about Leader Ocalan’s life and how one should live. He said: “Mr. Ocalan wrote in one of his articles while he was still young, ‘You are my unborn child,’ and this is closely related to this matter. He harnessed his historical experience and his ideas daily for renaissance and free life, and on this basis he turned every day he spent in Imrali into endless research and called for free life for the sake of a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue and the establishment of equality and brotherhood of peoples in the Middle East.”

"Invisible method of trial"

Faiq Özgür Arol pointed out that the policy of isolation imposed in Imrali since 1999, has transformed over the past 9 years into absolute isolation, and no information about the leader has ever been received. He continued his speech by saying: “He was not allowed to communicate with the outside or take the slightest measure.” Contact Since March 2021, this method of detention is the first in the world and has not been seen in any other prison in the world, relentless work is being done for the sake of all Imrali detaniess."

The approach of international institutions towards the leader

Lawyer Arol explained that the approach of international institutions that remain silent regarding injustice and lawlessness in lmrali is a political approach, and pointed out that all institutions obligated to abide by international treaties have clear information about the isolation imposed in Imrali, but they ignore that, as their aspirations are based on their own interests, and he presented the European Committee against Torture as an example of this, and pointed out that although the committee visited Turkey, it has not yet revealed its report for 2022, nor has it visited Imrali prison, and the European Court of Human Rights has not responded to their request regarding solitary confinement for 13 years.

 “This system must be completely abolished.”

Arol described the activities calling for the physical freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan around the world as “very important,” and continued his speech by saying: “The situation of isolation, which has entered its 25th year, and the complete absence of any information for years, indicates that as long as this Imrali regime continues "Isolation, death, and arrest will continue, so the alternative to isolation in Imrali is no longer just a few meetings with family and lawyers, but rather abolishing this system completely."

"Key to the future"

Arol pointed out that a process similar to the events that happened to the leader Abdullah Ocalan in the Middle East and the world 40 years ago also happened to Mandela, and he said: “The truth about Ocalan and solving the Kurdish issue through political and democratic means is similar to the Mandela issue, as this solution allows the possibility of reviving the culture of coexistence in a climate Democratic and equal across the Middle East, Free and equal dialogue with Mr. Ocalan represents the key to the future of coexistence between the peoples of Turkey and Kurdistan, which will gradually reach all the peoples of the Middle East.”

Arol evaluated the legal struggle against isolation from two main aspects and said: “First, the isolation imposed in Imrali, by its humanitarian and legal standards, has become clear torture and ill-treatment of all detainees there, and to put an end to this situation, we are continuing our requests and initiatives at the level of local and international law, and in order to achieve this was done at the utmost speed, and against the practices that occurred over the course of 17 years, we submitted only about 80 requests to the Constitutional Court.”

“The rule that has been in effect for 25 years must end.”

Arol stated that the other side of their legal struggle lies in shedding light on the conditions for the physical freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan, and concluded his speech by saying: “There are legal, political and humanitarian reasons for demanding the freedom of Mr. Ocalan. On the legal level, there is a decision of the European Court of Human Rights that states that the regime determines the punishment of imprisonment to death (life imprisonment), continuing until 2014, is inhumane treatment. According to this decision, a mechanism must be established to resolve the issues of all political detainees sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey. Of course, we mentioned the important political reasons related to free and equal dialogue with Mr. Ocalan in order to the political and legal solution to the Kurdish issue. On the humanitarian level, Mr. Ocalan has been detained under strict and difficult conditions of isolation for 25 years, and he is now 75 years old, and this in itself necessitates the end of the sentence or sentence that has been in effect for 25 years.”

T/ Satt.

ANHA