A conference titled Political prisoners in the world and in Turkey will take place today at the University of Geneva.

Lawyer Olivier Peter and a representative of ADEK will open the conference that will start at 9.15.

The program is as follows:

Panel 1: 9:15 - 11:00  

Why Prisons Were Built and What They Mean for Political Prisoners

Construction of prisons for dissidents

Political prisoners around the world

Speakers:

Dr. Jean-Pierre Restellini - Former member of the CPT

Jan Fermon - Lawyer at the Brussels Bar

Moderator: Elisabeth Decrey Warner

-Former President of the Parliament of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Associate Member of the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP).

Panel 2 - 11:15-13:00
History of prisons in Turkey and treatment of political prisoners

Current situation in Turkish prisons

Speakers:

Eren Keskin - Lawyer, Vice-President of the Turkish Human Rights Association -Winner of the Olof Palme Prize or the Amnesty International Prize

Serhat Cakmak - Association of Lawyers for Freedom

Kemal Aktas - (Former Kurdish political prisoner)

Moderator: Gianfranco Fattorini - MRAP

Panel 3 -  2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Abdullah Öcalan and the Imrali system

History and paradigm of the captivity of Abdullah Öcalan

The Imrali system, Isolation

Speakers:

Raziye Ozturk - ASRIN Law Office

Jean Ziegler - Vice-President of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council

Mahmut Sakar - Lawyer - MAF-DAD

Moderator: Roxane Sheybani- Lawyer