The 80th periodic session of the United Nations Committee against Torture (UNCAT) is currently taking place at the Palais Wilson in Geneva. The session, which began on 8 July, is focusing on human rights violations in Turkey, and the ongoing imprisonment of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in particular.
Representatives of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Turkish delegation are taking part in the discussions. UNCAT’s independent experts are questioning Turkish officials about human rights violations in the country, based on reports from non-governmental organisations and their own findings. The Committee is also requesting Turkey’s response on the implementation of previous recommendations.
Reports from several NGOs highlighted serious human rights violations in Turkish prisons and war crimes in areas occupied by Turkish forces and allied militias. The 40-month communication blockade against Abdullah Öcalan was a major concern.
In response to questions about Öcalan’s imprisonment, the Turkish delegation claimed that there was no isolation, but rather restrictions. Fatih Güngör, Deputy Director General of Prisons and Detention Centres, claimed that Turkish prison standards were in line with international agreements. He acknowledged the existence of disciplinary measures, but denied any special isolation regime for Öcalan, despite civil society reports to the contrary.
During the session, Special Rapporteur Naoko Maeda highlighted the appalling conditions in Turkish and Kurdish prisons and specifically addressed the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. Güngör defended the disciplinary measures and restrictions on visits imposed on Öcalan, citing legal grounds and claiming that such measures were necessary to maintain order.
However, this stance was challenged by İbrahim Bilmez of the Asrın Law Office. He accused the Turkish authorities of fabricating reasons to justify the isolation and claimed that the disciplinary sanctions preventing family visits were both continuous and unlawful. Bilmez stressed that these restrictions are rarely communicated to lawyers, making it difficult to challenge them effectively.
“They do not even inform us, the lawyers, of the sanctions imposed. We learn about the reasons for these punishments from CPT reports. Even something as simple as prisoners exercising for 45 minutes and then chatting in the yard for 15 minutes is cited as a reason for punishment,” said Bilmez, criticising the lack of transparency. He explained that the reasons for these punishments often appear in reports by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), citing an instance where prisoners were punished for talking during a sports activity.
Bilmez also highlighted the pattern of regular disciplinary measures against Öcalan and other prisoners. “Every three months, both Mr Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı are regularly given disciplinary punishments. What they are doing is against the law and the Penal Execution Law. Such continuous disciplinary sanctions cannot be imposed. Our clients have repeatedly appealed against these penalties. As we know, the judiciary does not function at all when it comes to İmralı. There has not been a single positive result of these appeals. As lawyers, we have not received a positive result from the Turkish judiciary in 25 years of our applications.”
The session of the UN Committee against Torture continues until 26 July and will culminate in the drafting of country reports with recommendations aimed at curbing torture and improving human rights conditions.
