Responses from Council of Europe, ECHR, CPT to letters regarding leader's isolation

The ECHR responded to a letter sent by Professor Kariane Westrheim from the University of Bergen on behalf of 69 Nobel laureates regarding leader Abdullah Ocalan’s situation. 

ECHR official Marialena Tsirli expressed her gratitude and appreciation for Westrheim’s efforts to highlight leader Ocalan’s situation and his conditions in prison.

On this basis, Westrheim sent a new letter to the court, urging it to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the dispatch of a delegation to İmrali. She reminded the court that the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, the CPT, and the ECHR are responsible for protecting human rights in the Council of Europe member states.

Responsibility of the ECHR, Council of Europe, and CPT

In her letter, Westrheim stated: "Mr. Ocalan has been isolated from the outside world for 42 months, causing concern among the Kurdish people, his family, and his lawyers, whose numerous requests to meet with him have been rejected. The CPT or the Council of Europe can pressure Turkey to send a delegation to Imrali. I express my gratitude to the President of the ECHR again and hope that you, along with other EU bodies, will attempt to send a delegation to Imrali."

Response from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers

Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Gabrielius Landsbergis, also responded to Westrheim's letter to the Committee of Ministers.

Landsbergis revealed that the issue of leader Abdullah Ocalan’s detention conditions will be investigated during the 1507th meeting of the committee, saying: "As Chairman of the Lithuanian Committee of Ministers, I assure you that the committee will constantly monitor whether member states are fulfilling their commitments."

The Committee of Ministers must pressure Turkey

Westrheim replied to Landsbergis’s letter, saying: "We were very pleased to hear that the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers will monitor whether member states are fully adhering to their responsibilities or not. This is a very positive development. However, our past experiences show that Turkey does not pay much attention to such calls. As a result, no real, tangible changes occur. Therefore, we urge the Committee of Ministers to send a delegation to Imrali Island to investigate the health conditions there and the situation of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence. He has had no contact with the outside world in any form for 42 months, which greatly distresses his family and lawyers. Since Turkey is a member state, the Committee of Ministers can pressure it to allow the delegation to visit."

CPT’s response: "We will continue to monitor"

Chairman of the CPT, Alan Mitchell, responded to the Spanish representative Jorge Bueyo Sanz’s letter, noting that the CPT is closely monitoring the situation of Imrali prisoners, mentioning a visit to Imrali in September 2022. Mitchell disclosed that the CPT’s dialogue with Turkish authorities about leader Abdullah Ocalan’s situation and other Imrali prisoners is ongoing and affirmed that the committee will continue to follow the situation of Imrali detainees closely.

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ANHA