Asrın Law Office's lawyers met with national and international legal organizations and civil society organizations on November 25 regarding the situation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş, who have been held under heavy isolation conditions. In the application, it was requested that necessary steps to be taken to pave the way for family and lawyer visits in İmralı, and non-governmental organizations were asked to fulfill their responsibilities in the field of human rights.

 

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) was among the institutions that lawyers applied to. Commenting on the isolation on Öcalan, TİHV Chair Metin Bakkalcı stated ban of visitation in Imralı is unacceptable.

 

VIOLATIONS ARE ON THE AGENDA OF TİHV

 

Expressing that they will do everything they can as the TİHV, Bakkalcı stated that TİHV exists for the prevention of torture and the treatment and rehabilitation of the tortured. Underlining that the situation in Imrali Prison is reflected in many reports, Bakkalcı said, “This situation has been reflected in many reports, including the reports of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member. There are violations in Imrali that must be taken very seriously. This is the special agenda of the TİHV. We've been repeatedly saying this for years."

 

MANDELA RULES

 

Stating that prisons are an important and a very problematic area in Turkey, Bakkalcı reminded that while there were 55 thousand people in prisons according to 2005 data of the Ministry of Justice, there are over 294 thousand prisoners as of today. Expressing that such an increase is unprecedented in a very short time, Bakkalcı said, “There are different situations beyond the overcrowding of prisons. When a person is arrested, it is imperative to protect all rights except the restriction of his freedom. These rights are clearly articulated in the Mandela Rules. Again, the EC Committee for the Prevention of Torture has its own rules. According to these rules, people who are imprisoned once must be in the closest prison to their families. Why is this situation important? Because every prisoner has a right to have contact with the outside world. But the situation in Turkey is the opposite of it.”

 

ISOLATION IS UNACCEPTABLE

 

Stating that isolation is practiced in other prisons as well, Bakkalcı said that there are a series of violations that should be taken very seriously in prisons. Emphasizing that in order to preserve a person's physical, spiritual and social integrity prisoners can not be cut off from the outside world, Bakkalcı continued: "As soon as you cut off a prisoner's contact with the outside world, you harm his physical, mental and social integrity. Isolation is unacceptable in this regard. This is a problematic area that can be addressed at the level of torture and ill-treatment, as stated in international documents. This situation is a violation of rights, and it is a painful situation for families as well. In a way, it also punished the families. Therefore, what happened is a violation of human rights and is unacceptable. Therefore, the obstacles in front of family visits must be removed immediately.”

 

MA / Ferhat Çelik