UPDATED – The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has found itself embroiled in a complex situation concerning the release of a report on the imprisonment conditions of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The CPT’s official policy is to withhold the publication of its visit reports until the concerned government has had an opportunity to review and respond. The final decision on publication is then made by the CPT, taking the government’s response into account.
Faik Yağızay, representing the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) at the European Council, has brought attention to the CPT’s hesitance in this matter. He reveals that the CPT shares concerns over Öcalan’s living conditions, mirroring the sentiments of Öcalan’s representatives and Turkish government critics. Despite this alignment, the CPT has opted to keep the report confidential, emphasising the importance of ongoing dialogue with Turkey.
Öcalan’s confinement in İmralı F Type High-Security Prison has been a longstanding human rights issue. The CPT’s decision to withhold the report has ignited a debate, placing the international body at the heart of a controversy that questions the equilibrium between diplomatic sensitivities and the quest for transparency and justice.
Öcalan’s 24-year aggravated isolation, coupled with the systematic denial of family and legal visits, has escalated to a state of complete non-communication. This situation has been exacerbated by the CPT and the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner (OHCHR) failing to act, despite receiving over 2.6 million signatures demanding an end to Öcalan’s isolation.
