Turkish authorities refuse to recognize "right to hope" for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment

Turkey submitted an action plan to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, officially confirming its refusal to recognize the so-called "right to hope" for prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, a move that sparked widespread controversy over Ankara's commitment to European human rights standards.

The plan, submitted on June 27, 2025, assessed responsibilities regarding the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decisions (No. 2) issued against detainees Emin Gürban, Ciwan Boltan, Hayati Kaytan, and leader Abdullah Ocalan.

In these cases, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that denying prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment the possibility of reviewing their sentence or any possibility of release violates Article 3 (prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Action Plan states that, despite Leader Abdullah Ocalan's incommunicado detention since 1999, "no further individual measures are necessary." This situation indicates that the torture and genocide regime at Imrali will continue despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling.

Denying the Right to Hope

Under the heading "conditional release," the Turkish government stated that aggravated life sentences are "exceptional" and that these prisoners cannot benefit from the conditional release mechanism. Consequently, Turkey officially announced that it would not amend the legislation on the "right to hope."

This position follows previous statements by Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç last May, in which he asserted that "no such situation exists" regarding Leader Abdullah Ocalan. The action plan shows that this position is no longer just a statement, but has become official policy.

ANHA