NEWS CENTER - Members of parliament, writers, trade unionists, journalists and academics wrote a letter to the CPT to send a delegation to Imrali Island.
A joint letter was written by Peace in Kurdistan to end the absolute isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and for the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to send a delegation to Imrali Prison. Linguist Noam Chomsky, former Labor Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, Simon Dubbins from Unite the Union, Britain's largest trade union organisation, Professor Doctor Michael Gunter, Professor Doctor Bill Bowring, Professor Doctor Mary Davis, SNP MP Chris Stephens said Siin Fein MP Chris Hazzard, Mickey Brady, Labor MP Kate Osamar, Along with John McDonnell, dozens of people, including academics, trade unionists, writers and journalists, signed the letter.
In the letter sent to CPT President Alan Mitchell with the title " an urgent appeal that requires your immediate consideration", it was pointed out that no news had been received from PKK Leader Öcalan for 3 years. In the letter, it was emphasized that Turkey was trying to turn Imrali Island into a "floating coffin" in this process.
The following was written in the continuation of the letter: "For the past 36 months, Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is seen by millions of Kurds as their legitimate political representative, has been held in an extreme form of incommunicado detention by the Turkish state on the prison island of Imrali. During this illegal and inhumane isolation, Mr. Öcalan has effectively been ‘disappeared’ and dropped into a void of ‘non-existence,’ as he is being denied all contact with the outside world, including his lawyers and close family members.
'FLOATING COFFIN’
Throughout this period, Turkey has attempted to transform Imrali Island into a ‘floating coffin’. Mr. Öcalan, who is now 75 years old, has been subjected to cruel torture through isolation for 25 years but over the last three years, no information at all has been provided concerning his health, giving cause for serious disquiet. At this point, even his whereabouts cannot be confirmed, and his physical condition is a highly sensitive issue for many Kurds who see him as embodying their national voice. It is for these compelling reasons that we are kindly asking you, the CPT, to take some immediate action, only this will allay any fears. As the CPT, you are legally entitled to visit all places of detention of states which are party to the Convention, and this includes Turkey. This invest you with the powers and ability to send your team of experts to Imrali, where the Turkish government are obliged to grant you unrestricted access to visit where Mr. Öcalan is being held captive and to allow you to interview him in private so he can communicate with you in confidence free from any duress.
‘’CARRY OUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IMMEDIATELY’
We would like the CPT to act in accordance with Article 3 of the CoE Statute, which states that: ‘Every member of the Council of Europe must accept the principles of the rule of law and the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms.’ Mr. Öcalan is a citizen of a CoE member state that has been denying him his human rights for two and half decades, and for the last three years, has been depriving him of his basic legal rights to meet with his lawyers and speak with his family.
All we ask, with complete sincerity, is that you please carry out your responsibilities immediately by sending a delegation to visit Imrali Island to speak with Mr. Öcalan and check on his well-being. Following that, we would greatly appreciate it if you could encourage Turkey to allow him to receive a visit from his family and lawyers, to bring them in full compliance with CoE and CPT obligations. This would help address an urgent human rights issue and concern for millions of Kurds and could also renew the spirit of reconciliation, which is urgently needed to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey.
LIST OF SIGNERS
The names signed on the letter are as follows: “John Austin, Mike Arnott, President STUC, Baroness Blower of Starch Green, Prof. Bill Bowring, Mickey Brady, MP for Mid Ulster, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Maggie Cook, UNISON women activist, Prof Mary Davis, Lord Dholakia, Simon Dubbins, UNITE International, Dr Radha D’Souza (writer), Desmond Fernandes, Lindsey German, Convenor STWC, Melanie Gingell, Christopher Gingell, Prof Dr. Michael Gunter, Rahila Gupta, author, journalist, Chris Hazzard Sinn Fein MP, Nick Hildyard, policy advisor, Dafydd Iwan, Former President Plaid Cymru, George Katsiaficas, Greek-American, James Kelman, novelist, Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Jean Lambert, former MEP, Dr Les Levidow, Open University, Gawain Little, GFTU General Secretary, Elfyn Llwyd, John McDonnell MP, Mike Mansfield KC, David Morgan, journalist, Conor Murphy, Sinn Fein MLA, Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Dr. Jessica Ayesha Northey, Kate Osamor MP, Margaret Owen OBE, Ali Gul Ozbek, Former Councillor and Mayor of Haringey. Gareth Peirce, Dr Felix Padel, anthropologist, Maxine Peake, actor, Dr Thomas Phillips, Liverpool John Moores University, Father Joe Ryan, Dr Thomas Schmidt, ELDH Europe, Bert Schouwenburg, International Trade, Roza Salih, Scottish politician, Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace, Stephen Smellie, PIK Trade Union, Jonathan Steele, journalist, Chris Stephens SNP MP, Gianni Tognoni, General Secretary, Dr Federico Venturini, Associate, Dr Tom Wakeford, Dr Derek Wall, Julie Ward, former MEP, Frances Webber, former Vice-Chair of, Kariane Westrheim, Chair, EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), Hywel Williams MP. Kim Johnson MP, Rohash Shexo, Kongra Star Women’s Movement, Suna Alan, Jiyan Kurdish Women’s Assembly, Esra Asiye Guden, co-chair of European Confederation of Immigrants, Rojin Mikuryani, PhD Researcher at University College Cork, Ireland, Sara Kermanian, PhD Researcher at University College Cork, Ireland. Turkan Ozcan &Agit Karatas, Kurdish People’s Democratic Assembly of Britain.”