On the occasion of the three-year mark since any contact with Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Asrın Law Office’s lawyer İbrahim Bilmez has called out the Turkish government’s treatment of Öcalan as outright “tyranny”.
Speaking to Medya News TV on Monday, lawyer Bilmez challenged the unprecedented nature of Öcalan’s imprisonment, questioning the rationale for F-type prisons, or any detention facility globally, that denies entry to legal counsels.
🔴Three years with no news from Abdullah Öcalan, a concerning silence over the PKK leader's health and well-being. Asrın Law Office (@asrinhukukburo) highlighted the severe isolation of Öcalan, dubbing it 'tyranny' by the Turkish government. (https://t.co/qVWJLgW3Nk)… pic.twitter.com/hSwUyuJ61U
— MedyaNews (@medyanews_) March 25, 2024
Since 25 March 2021, there has been a complete blackout on Öcalan’s status, with no phone calls, letters or visits allowed, not even from legal representatives or family. This policy, according to Bilmez, not only breaches Turkish law but also contradicts international human rights standards, painting a grim picture of the isolation levels faced by the PKK leader.
Bilmez challenged the unprecedented nature of such confinement, questioning if there exists any other F-type prison or any detention facility worldwide, that disallows entry to legal counsels even for a day. He stated that this situation cannot be explained away by legal terms but is rather the implementation of a political decision by the Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), aimed directly at Öcalan due to his significant role and influence within the Kurdish community.
The lawyer’s criticisms extended to international bodies and the global community for their inaction and silence on the matter, urging for a concerted effort to restore Öcalan’s basic rights and reconnect him with the outside world. The case of Abdullah Öcalan, according to Bilmez, represents not only a legal battle but a political struggle against oppressive tactics employed by the Turkish government, highlighting the urgent need for advocacy and action to end this draconian form of isolation.
Meanwhile, the Asrın Law Office issued a statement on Monday regarding the ongoing absolute incommunicado detention of Öcalan and three others on İmralı Island, calling for adherence to the UN Human Rights Committee’s measures to restore their rights and end their isolation.
The Asrın Law Office has highlighted the UN Human Rights Committee’s call for the Turkish government to end the incommunicado detention of Öcalan and allow him unrestricted access to legal representation, a call that Turkey has yet to heed, maintaining a stance of complete isolation. The statement also spotlighted the international community’s silence, particularly from bodies like the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).
The law office asserted that the lifting of Öcalan’s isolation forms a crucial part of addressing the Kurdish issue and fostering democracy in the region, urging global entities to act in accordance with domestic and international laws to restore the rights of Öcalan and his associates.
