International reactions to the aggravated isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been kept in İmralı Prison under severe incommunicado conditions and from whom no news has been received for over 3 years, and the attitude of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which has the sole authority to enter İmralı, continue.

A group from Switzerland, including parliamentarians, politicians and prominent personalities wrote a letter to Dr Alan Mitchell, President of the CPT, calling for urgent action for the Kurdish leader:

“Dear Dr Mitchell

The Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement on the prison island of Imrali for 25 years, in contravention of all legal norms. He has been completely isolated from contact for the past 38 months.

As members of the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan" Committee in Switzerland and supporters of the "Freedom for Öcalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question" campaign, we respectfully request that you and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture employ all available means to facilitate a visit to Abdullah Öcalan on the prison island of Imrali as swiftly as possible.

A visit by the CPT to the prison island of Imrali would undoubtedly be an important and urgent step towards assessing Mr Öcalan's health condition. We believe that his immediate release would make a crucial contribution to the resolution of the Kurdish issue.

With sincere thanks and the highest consideration.”

Signatories

Katharina Prelicz-Huber, Member of the National Council

Fabian Molina, Member of the National Council

Claudia Friedl, Member of the National Council

Franziska Ryser, Member of the National Council

Barbara Gysi, Member of the National Council

Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, Member of the National Council

Maria Pappa, Mayor of St. Gallen

Lisa Letnansky, Member of the Cantonal Council of Zurich

Andreas Kirstein, Member of the Municipal Council of Zurich

Margeret Kiener Nellen, Former Member of the National Council

Richard Wolff, Former Member of the Municipal Council of Zurich

Yves Henz, Member of the Municipal Council of Zurich

Miriam Rizvi, Member of the City Parliament of St. Gallen

Marco Genoni, Former Mayor of Suhr

Markus Dietschi, Former Member of the Grand Council of Aargau

Stephanie Prezioso, Professor at UNIL

Marcel Bosonnet, Lawyer

Dr. med. Beppe Savary-Borioli, Doctor

Maja Hess, Doctor

Robin S., President of FAU in St. Gallen

Leandra Breu, Co-President of Climate Strike St. Gallen

Álvaro Ullate, Co-President of Young Greens Aargau

Corinne Riedener, Editor of Saiten Magazine

Anina Jendreyko, Director

Robin Eichmann, JUSO St. Gallen

Rebekka Wyler, SP Erstfeld

Ahmet Yaman, Spokesperson of the Kurdish Community in Switzerland