There has been no news for 40 months from Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in severe isolation conditions in Imrali Prison Island for more than 25 years. Abdullah Öcalan, whose right to visit his family and lawyer has been usurped, is kept in a state of absolute lack of communication. Despite his lawyers’ requests to eliminate this unlawfulness, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which has the sole authority to enter Imrali, is content with the statement "We are following the issue closely."

The 80th session of the United Nations Committee against Torture, which started on 8 July at the Palais de Wilson of the UN Geneva Office, continues.

Within the scope of the sessions, human rights violations in Turkey are being discussed and debated. Rapporteurs of the UN Committee against Torture, representatives of non-governmental organisations presenting reports on Turkey and the Turkish delegation are attending the sessions.

NGOs were listened to

On 16 July, the UN Committee against Torture met with the representatives of non-governmental organisations that submitted reports on Turkey to the UN Committee in a closed session and listened to their presentations on these reports.

According to the information ANF received from backstage, many civil society organisations took the floor and drew attention to the extent of rights violations in the country, emphasising that Turkey has not fulfilled the requirements of the UN Convention against Torture.

Today's session started with the presentation of the Turkish state's report. Following the Turkish delegation, UN Committee against Torture Special Rapporteurs Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov and Maeda Naoko made presentations within the framework of their reports on Turkey.

Special rapporteur Tuzmukhamedov: Recommendations not fulfilled

Taking the floor first, Special Rapporteur Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov drew attention to the rights violations in prisons in Turkey. Tuzmukhamedov stated that there are many cases in Turkey where prisoners' rights to see their lawyers and family members are restricted and emphasised that many recommendations made to Turkey in the previous UN Sessions against Torture have not been fulfilled.

Special rapporteur Naoko asks for defence, asking about i̇mrali

Following Mr Tuzmukhamedov, Special Rapporteur Maeda Naoko made a presentation on rights violations and asked questions to be answered by the Turkish delegation. Naoko drew attention to the rights violations in Turkey due to anti-terrorism laws and emphasised that these laws are used against human rights defenders, journalists and opposition groups.

Special Rapporteur Maeda Naoko stated that they have received many reports on rights violations especially in Turkish prisons and drew attention to the isolation conditions of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in İmralı Island Prison for more than 25 years under severe torture conditions.

Special Rapporteur Naoko stated that, according to the reports received, the prisoners in İmralı have not had any communication with the outside world for more than 3 years. "Since 25 March 2021, there has been no communication with the 4 prisoners in İmralı Island Prison. Lawyers and family visits are not allowed. Despite all diplomatic efforts, no information has been received on the situation of these 4 prisoners. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) had previously ruled in Abdullah Öcalan's case that Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated. The Committee demands an explanation for this situation in İmralı."

The sessions will continue with the special rapporteurs of the UN Committee against Torture asking questions to the Turkish authorities about the rights violations in the country based on their own reports and the reports of NGOs. Turkey, on the other hand, will present a defence against the questions to be addressed to them.

Nearly 30 organisations submitted a report

Nearly 30 national and international non-governmental organisations, including the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), Society and Legal Research Foundation (TOHAV), Asrin Law Office, Human Rights Association (İHD), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Human Rights Watch (HRW), among others, submitted reports on Turkey to these sessions.

In their reports, many civil society organisations drew attention to rights violations in Turkish prisons and war crimes in the regions occupied by the Turkish state and its gang groups.

Drawing attention to the rights violations in prisons, the reports pointed out the state of absolute incommunicado in which Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held for 40 months.

After the 80 sessions of the UN Committee against Torture, which will end on 26 July, torture reports will be prepared for the countries and recommendations will be made to the states for correction.