The Defence Committee for Abdullah Öcalan in North and East Syria sent an open letter to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General on Sunday, reported ANF.
The letter drew attention to the unlawful isolation and prison conditions of the founding leader of Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), who has been imprisoned on Turkey’s İmralı island since 1999.
“The invading Turkish state is employing illegal and inhumane practices against Öcalan, who is being held hostage on İmralı island prison as the result of a political decision,” said the letter.
The committee noted that the Turkish state is subjecting Öcalan to mental and physical torture in order to control him completely, and making no statement regarding his condition, using grounds such as disciplinary sanctions as excuses.
“The Turkish state has always defied the international community by committing crimes in violation of international law. What is happening to Mr Öcalan in İmralı prison constitutes a crime against humanity,” said the letter.
The committee asked the European Commission of Human Rights (ECHR), the UN and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to fulfil their missions and expose the torture to which Öcalan has been subjected.
Öcalan has been held under conditions of strict isolation since the start of his captivity on charges of treason and terrorism. The PKK leader has not been allowed to contact with his lawyers since August 2019.
