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 NGOs, 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)
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