ISTANBUL - Asrın Law Office's lawyers made a statement regarding the CPT's visit to İmralı, where their client, PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is being held.

 

Asrın Law Office made a written statement regarding the visit to Turkey of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment (CPT), affiliated to the Council of Europe (EC). In the statement, Asrın Law Office said: "We have expressed many times that we have not received any news from our clients Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım since March 25, 2021, and that we are worried about their health and life. We welcome the CPT, which is one of the main interlocutor institutions across Europe in this field, to take such a step, albeit belatedly, after all our applications, calls and initiatives made by a wide range of national and international legal circles.

 

The statement of Asrın Law Office continues as follows: 

 

"We have learned from the statement of the relevant institution that the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT)  visited the Imrali F Type High Security Prison during its visit to Turkey between 20-29 September 2022.

 

We have expressed many times that we have not received any news from our clients Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım since 25 March 2021, and that we are worried about their health and life. We welcome the CPT, which is one of the main interlocutor institutions across Europe in this field, to take such a step, albeit belatedly, after all our applications, calls and initiatives made by a wide national and international legal community.

 

The CPT published the report of its last visit in May 2019 exactly 15 months later and stated that serious steps should be taken especially at the point of contact with the outside world. However, after the CPT visit, while an improvement was needed in line with the recommendations in the previous reports, the isolation policy for our clients on Imrali Island was insisted on and the isolation was further deepened.

 

While we see the CPT's visit as a positive initiative, we would like to express in particular that this situation does not change the fact that we have not heard anything from our clients for the last 18 months. Lifting the ban on lawyers and family visits, and respecting our right to meet with our clients without restrictions and limitations still continue to be our main demands. While the gravity of the situation is obvious; We demand that the CPT make a public statement as soon as possible and implement coercive measures and procedures to abolish torture conditions.

 

As his lawyers, we expect the public, legal and human rights circles to maintain their sensitive approach in order to provide the opportunity to meet with Mr. Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı."