International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com

Cologne, 22 January 2003

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIEFINGS:
No information on Ocalan for two months now! – Ocalan’s isolation continues!

MHA / Frankfurt 22 January 11:06 a.m.

Again Abdulah Ocalan’s lawyers were not allowed to see their client . This week again bad weather was used as a pretext. He now has not had any outside contact for more than eight weeks. Meanwhile his lawyers made it clear that they would make a report on the Imrali prison administration. There would be a meeting with the Ministry of Justice on Friday. Aysel Tugluk, a lawyer, asserted to our correspondent, that there were serious concerns now for the life and safety of her client.

In the early morning hours Mr. Ocalan’s lawyers Aysel Tugluk, Mahmut Sakar, Irfan Dündar and Aydin Oruc and Mr. Ocalan’s brother Mehmet Öcalan appeared in the harbour of Mudanya, in order to cross over to Imrali. This, however, they were refused using heavy fog as a pretext.

Lawyers make a report

Ms. Tugluk told our correspondent they would make a report on the prison administration of Imrali citing “abuse of authority”.

They had filed numerous petitions and complaints in the past in order to proceed against the arbitrariness described above. There would be a meeting with Cemil Cicek of the Ministry of Justice. Ms. Tugluk added that the present practice was not based on the law but in fact was rather deliberate. The situation was tense. The visits could easily be made on another day if bad weather was not just a pretext. The authorities, however, would not try to find a reasonable solution but instead would simply insist on barring her client from any contact.An atmosphere of provocation and tension is created.

According to Aysel Tugluk this practice was directed at completely isolating her client from the outer world in order to sabotage his work for a democratic solution of the Kurdish question, which was a danger to some circles.

For two months there have been absolutely no visitors, neither family nor lawyers. The last meeting was on November 27, 2002. Although the lawyers had already filed several applications to cancel the appointment of the visiting dates on Wednesdays there have been no responses yet. They also had asked to provide a more seaworthy boat for the crossing – negative.

The lawyers regard this practice as a disablement of an appropriate legal assistance since there are several proceedings pending, i.a. before the European Court of Human Rights. They have tried to exhaust all legal remedies. Meanwhile the Kurds step up their international campaign for an end to the isolation of the KADEK-President.

Source: Mesopotamian News Agency / Translation: International Initiative "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan - Peace in Kurdistan"