NEWS CENTER - Stating that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan is not an internal matter, but a legal case, attorney Mahmut Şakar said: “The CPT has not been responding to lawyers' applications for 18 months. For this reason, the CPT and the ECtHR are responsible for the isolation.”

 

While the lawyers of the Asrın Law Office were left inconclusive against the aggravated isolation against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, 350 lawyers from Europe, 691 from Northern and Eastern Syria and different regions of Syria, and 756 from Arab countries went to the Ministry of Justice with a request to meet with Öcalan.

 

Mahmut Şakar, one of Öcalan's lawyers, who attended the press conference organised by lawyers in Europe, made evaluations to the Hawar News Agency (ANHA).

 

Stating that the isolation system in Imrali has not changed for 24 years and condemning the fact that Öcalan was not allowed to meet with his lawyers, Şakar said: “The meeting was prevented by imposing disciplinary penalties on Öcalan between 2005 and 2009. In 2005, Öcalan was given a disciplinary penalty and held in a cell for 20 days. They are trying to repeat the same thing today. This is not logical, these are policies of cruelty and they have no legitimacy. They explain the reasons for the disciplinary punishments with baseless excuses."

 

WAR AND ISOLATION

 

Stating that the heavy isolation is related to the recent policy of the Turkish state, the attacks against the Kurdish people in four parts of Kurdistan and the use of forbidden weapons, Şakar said: “This government was founded on war. It does not allow any meeting with Öcalan to take place. War and isolation are linked to each other. As the isolation gets heavier, the war deepens.”

 

'NO LAW LEGITIMIZES ISOLATION'    

 

Noting that there is no strict isolation law in Turkey and in the world, Şakar said: “No law legitimizes isolation. The rights of the family and the lawyers to meet and communicate with him is guaranteed by all laws. The protection of rights in European law is considered very important. Meetings with prisoners cannot be prohibited in any way."

 

'WE ARE CONCERNED'

 

Stating that they have not received any information about Öcalan for 18 months, Şakar said: "We are concerned that the condition of Öcalan is really getting worse."

 

RIGHT OF HOPE

 

Şakar said: “Freedom is an unavoidable right that every prisoner hopes for. Liberty is an inalienable right that every prisoner hopes for. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) regarded prisoners had no right to hope for freedom as torture. It said that Turkey's law for Öcalan is against human rights and should be changed. The Turkish state violates laws and decisions regarding the protection of human rights. The right to hope is a legitimate right. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will meet this month. Turkey should report its answer and meeting about Öcalan and his imprisoned friends to the committee."

 

'CPT AND ECTHR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISOLATION'

 

Noting that the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has been to Imrali many times and has prepared reports pointing to the isolation, Şakar continued his words as follows: "Lawyers have been applying to the CPT for 18 months, but the CPT has not responded to any of them. For this reason, the CPT and the ECtHR are also responsible for the isolation.They are not giving information about the situation of Leader Öcalan for 18 months and there is a great silence. They should do something about it and get involved. The CPT and the ECHR are politically and economically related to the Turkish state, and therefore they ignore unlawfulness. They know that the Turkish state must obey the law, but they do not take action and do not put pressure. The CPT can visit Imralı whenever it wants without asking permission from anyone. The struggle should be increased even more to secure Öcalan's physical freedom."

 

'ISOLATION IS A HUMANITARIAN AND LEGAL CASE'

 

Drawing attention to the press conference sent by 350 lawyers from Europe to the Ministry of Justice by signing the request to meet with Öcalan, Şakar said: “This action was effective. It confirms that the isolation is not just a Kurdish domestic issue, it is a legal and humanitarian cause related to international issues.”