International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
Telephone: +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, 26 April 2005

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIEFINGS:
Press Release by Abdullah Ocalan's Lawyers

Our visitations with our client Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, at the Imrali Island, which is legally to take place an hour, once a week (every wednesday) has not been realised since the 16th of March 2005, a total of five (5) weeks.

We believe that this application is not based on any jurisdiction but is due to arbitrary and political reasons hence constituting a serious violation if his rights, above all his right to a defence. As is known our client has been kept under isolation conditions for nearly the past six (6) years. He has been deprived of all the judiciary rights which all those arrested and sentenced in Turkey can benefit from. He is up against illicit and inhuman practices.

All rights, which are recognised by law, are being prevented based on practices that have no-credible reasoning. Our client has been kept in a solitary cell for the past six years and no human contact has been allowed during this period. All our lawful appeals against; the prevention of visitations with his family and lawyers for the past five (5) weeks, newspapers, books and letters not been given and the prevention of communication with his family and lawyers have been in vain.

We believe our client has in the last six (6) years greatly contributed to the democracy struggle in Turkey through his efforts for the development of peace and fraternity. Despite these efforts, through the abovementioned practices, a no-solution situation is being created.

In the past five (5) weeks our visitations have been prevented in the following order and reasoning; on the 23rd of March 2005 due to the coaster breakdown, on the 30th of March 2005 despite being on the way to the island and being a short distance away from the island due to weather opposition, on the 6th April 2005 a distance of 15 minutes to the island due to a defect in the coaster, on the 13th of April 2005 due to an information sent before hand stating a defect in the coaster and on the 20th of April 2005 due to weather opposition.

As a result of the latest visitation prevented, dated 20th April 2005, a meeting took place with the representative of the Bursa Republic Attorney-General . We requested that the visitation take place on the thursday or friday of the same week in accordance with the statement of the Justice Ministry dated 13.07.2004 “on the condition that 24 hour notice is given, if for any reason the visitations which are to be realised every wednesday do not occur then the visitations can be realised on the thursday or friday of the same week”. The Attorney-General had accepted this request of ours and has informed the Gemlik Gendermarie Commandership. Although we have been informed that the Gemlik Gendermarie Commadership has stated that preparations will be made so that the visitation is realised on friday. However the Commandership has not carried out the instruction of the Attorney-General because, it has been stated, they could not make the necessary preperations.

Above all the Justice Ministry, the Bursa Republic Attorney-General and Gemlik Gendermarie Commandership have responsibilities in these practices.

We find these practices against our client to be a cause of concern. The fact that the prevention of visitations coincide with the discussions of a possible re-trial decision by the ECHR leads us to conclude that the visitations are prevented as a result of the heightened wave of nationalism and chauvinism.

We believe that all should be respectful to the legal procedures. These practices, which are in violation of national and international principles of humanitarian law, are not aligned with the gravity of states, but are totally political, should be ended.

We call on our people , all the NGO’s, human rights organisations and all the public opinion to be sensitive against these inhuman practices and have initiative.

21.04.2005
Asrin Hukuk Bürosu
(The Office of Attorneys)