ISTANBUL - It has been learned that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under severe isolation conditions and has not been heard from for 27 months, has been given a new ban on visiting his family and lawyers.

 

PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in İmralı Type F High Security Prison since he was brought to Turkey with an international conspiracy on February 15, 1999, has not been heard from since the interrupted phone call he made with his brother Mehmet Öcalan on March 25, 2021. Applications by Asrın Law Office's lawyers to meet with their client Öcalan are either left unanswered or blocked on the grounds of "disciplinary penalties".

 

THE APPLICATION OF LAWYERS WAS REJECTED

 

The last time the lawyers applied to the Bursa 2nd Execution Judge was on December 23, 2022 against the family visit ban. The lawyers' application was rejected on January 3, 2023 due to the 3-month family visit ban. While no information was shared with the lawyers about the content of the refusal decision, it was reported that there was only a "disciplinary penalty". Lawyers filed an appeal to the Bursa 1st High Criminal Court on January 10 for the annulment of the decision. The court rejected the lawyers' objection on the same day without giving any reason.

 

NEW FAMILY VISIT BAN

 

Lawyers once again applied for a lawyer and family meeting due to the earthquake that occurred in Mereş center on February 6 and affected many provinces. Lawyers learned that PKK Leader Öcalan and his other clients Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş held in İmralı were given a visitor ban for 3 months on December 21, 2022, and the said ban became final on January 10, 2023. Despite this, the lawyers continued to apply for a lawyer's visit twice a week and once a family visit.

 

On April 6, 2023, the lawyers made separate applications to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and to the İmarlı Type F High Security Closed Prison. Bursa 1st Execution Judgeship, to which the applications were referred, rejected the application for meeting and objections on April 12. The judgeship notified that although the previous ban decision was not over, İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison issued a new visitor ban on March 15, the decision became final on March 30, therefore it rejected the application for an interview.

 

On April 14, the lawyers brought the decision to the Bursa 1st High Criminal Court. The court rejected the appeal on April 30 and the decision became final. Along with this, a new family visit ban was imposed on the PKK Leader.

 

NEW LAWYER VISIT BAN

 

On the other hand, despite the expiry of the ban on Öcalan's meeting with his lawyers, which became final on October 27, 2022, neither the prosecutor's office nor the prison administration received any response.

 

Lawyers applied to Bursa Execution Judgeship on April 27, 2023 for a lawyer's visit; however, the judge did not respond to the application. Instead of being a judge, the lawyers were notified by the Bursa 1st High Criminal Court. The Communiqué included the decision of the Bursa 3rd Criminal Court on April 26. The decision in the communiqué included statements that a new 6-month ban on meeting with the PKK Leader was made.

 

It was learned that lawyers made individual applications to the Constitutional Court (AYM) against the prohibitions in question.

 

MA / Mehmet Aslan