Syrian lawyers call for action to end torture, extermination regime 

The initiative issued a statement to the global public and an appeal concerning the recent decision by Turkish authorities to prohibit lawyers from meeting with leader Abdullah Ocalan for six months.

The statement reads:

“The recent decision by Turkish authorities to ban lawyers from meeting with Leader Abdullah Ocalan for six months, following their request submitted on 6/11/2024 to the Second Enforcement Court in Bursa, without informing the lawyers of the reason for the ban, constitutes another violation of international law. This decision reflects the ongoing violations of human rights and is part of a cumulative pattern of crimes against humanity, where torture and inhumane acts are entrenched within an institutional system based on systematic oppression and racial control.

This decision also serves as irrefutable evidence of the suppression of thought and philosophy, and the policies opposing the Kurdish people. It highlights the Turkish state's tactical approach to the freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, which is not merely a humanitarian issue but also a gateway to a sustainable solution for the Kurdish issue.

This step is critical on all levels and underscores Turkey's disregard for the interconnectedness of leader Ocalan's case and the Kurdish issue, particularly after the global campaign launched on October 10, 2023, from 74 centers worldwide under the slogan "Physical Freedom for Leader Abdullah Ocalan and Political Solution for the Kurdish Issue."

This campaign has gained momentum across the world in various forms and at increasing rates and remains at the height of its activity.

We draw the world's attention, both official and free, to the gravity of the escalation by Turkish authorities through this condemned decision, which violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (1950), Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (1998), Article 5 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), and Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention Against Torture (1984).

We urge the international community to take decisive measures to end the isolation and ensure the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who proposed a legal and political solution on October 23, 2024, rather than succumbing to a vengeful attitude.

We particularly appeal to the UN General Assembly with an urgent call to swiftly reinstate the application of its resolution 43/173 issued on December 9, 1988, which includes a set of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, and its other resolution issued on December 4, 1990, which outlines the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners”. 

A-H

ANHA