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Internationale Initiative
Freiheit für Abdullah Öcalan
Frieden in Kurdistan
Pf.: 100511, D-50445 Köln
Tel: +49 221 130 15 59
Fax: +49 221 139 30 71
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com
Cologne, 1 December 2004
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIEFINGS:
Update on the situation of Abdullah Ocalan
By Mahmut Sakar, lawyer of Abdullah Ocalan
Abdullah Ocalan has now spent six years in solitary confinement
on the prison island Imrali. Hereinafter we will update you on the
health situation and the conditions in Imrali prison as well as
on the working conditions for his lawyers:
State of Health
The breathing problems of our client have not improved. On our
last meeting on 27 October 2004, my colleagues met our client in
a very tired condition. His complexion was very pale and his face
was hollow-cheeked. He had difficulties to speak. Our client constantly
had to clean his mouth from secretion. He had to drink some water
in very short intervals. Moreover, my colleagues became witness
for the very serious breathing problems of our client. My colleagues
expressed their concern on the growth of the walnut-sized swellings
on the back of his head, which were diagnosed in April 2004 and
about his rapid loss of weight. All applications for the improvement
of his confinement conditions, for an examination by independent
physicians or by an independent commission of physicians, have been
without success until today. Until now we were only informed by
the European Court for Human Rights, that the infirmities of our
client were not life threatening; this explanation is based on some
very limited examinations only. We have neither been informed on
the exact results of this examinations, nor modern technical equipment
has been used in this examinations. Until today there are no medical
devices on the prison island of Imrali. It is obvious, that the
medical treatment until now has not been able to improve the state
of health of our client.
Solitary confinement
The cell of our client is enlightened 24 hours a day. All parts
of this cell are supervised by cameras. The room next door, which
was used as the room for the visit of family members, is planned
to be used as a bathroom for the guard members. Therefore we are
afraid, that the high humidity will be increased, which will have
negative effects on the state of health of our client.
Mr Ocalan told us in the last meeting, that he does not receive
letters in the last time. He receives daily newspapers on a very
irregular basis. In this newspapers all articles about him are removed.
Even though the juridical authorities have told us, that they have
bought a new boat to get to the island, this boat has not been used
yet. In the last week we could not see our client once again, due
to bad weather conditions.
Attacks on the right to appropriate defence
According to Turkish media the National Security Council has discussed
the case of Abdullah Ocalan on his regular meeting in October. The
council declared that weekly meetings of Mr Ocalan with his lawyers
are not necessary and that it was not right to buy a new boat to
ferry over to Imrali.
In a declaration of Yasar Buyukkanit, commander of the army, which
he released on 29 October following the meeting of the National
Security Council, the expressed his annoyance about the living conditions
of Mr Ocalan, which he designated as being better than at Mr Ocalans
stay in Syria. Similar declarations have been released by other
high decorated military members as well. According to this declarations
the lawyers would ensure the communication of Mr Ocalan with the
world outside. In their declarations, which are directly aimed on
the lawyers of Mr Ocalan, the representatives of the Military criticize,
that we have not been punished yet, even though there have been
taken proceedings against us. The legal authorities would not fulfil
their duties. The interesting aspect of this matter is the fact
that the department of prosecution of the Military Court of the
general staff has preferred a charge against the “Centuries
lawyer’s office” and the lawyers, who work there. Thereupon
the department of prosecution has taken proceedings against six
lawyers of our office because of “membership in an illegal
organisation”. At present there are three proceedings of our
client on the European Court for Human Rights. Additionally there
has been opened up another proceeding against our client in Turkey.
The above mentioned attacks and interventions have lead to the situation
that we hardly can make use of the right of our client to be defended
adequately. In the last analysis we are hindered massively to follow
our profession.
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