HDP MPs who are in Strasbourg for the ongoing Council of Europe (CoE) sessions met with the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) about the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) United Left Group Member and HDP Deputy Co-chair for Foreign Relations Hisyar Ozsoy, PACE member and Amed MP Pero Dundar and HDP Council of Europe Representative Fayik Yagizay were present in the HDP delegation.
CPT Secretary General Régis Brillat and CPT Division 1 Chief Michael Neurauter who monitors Turkey received the HDP delegation.
The HDP delegation discussed the ongoing aggravated isolation imposed upon Ocalan and the hunger strikes that continue to spread against it, and pointed out the rights violations against Ocalan and other prisoners.
HDP Council of Europe Representative Fayik Yagizay said they relayed their demand that the CPT go to Imrali and inspect Ocalan’s situation there, and added that this is an urgent demand by the Kurdish people.
Yagizay said they spoke with the CPT about the spreading hunger strikes and demanded that they fulfill their responsibility.
CPT officials said their methods are different and they added that the report for their visit to Turkey in 2016 was released in April 2018.
According to the HDP delegation, CPT officials said there were expressions in the report that were against the continuation of the isolation and added that they stand behind their latest report and its contents.
CPT officials said they are “actively working” on the isolation and violations in prisons and that they will continue to do so. The delegation didn’t give any details on what this “active work” entails.
