The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) organized a conference this afternoon at the European Parliament to draw attention to the issue of political prisoners inside  Turkey in general and the situation of the imprisoned Kurdish leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in particular.

To place the corresponding gross violations of international laws and humanitarian norms on the global agenda, the EUTCC are holding the conference at the European Parliament from 2 to 6 pm. The conference is hosted by MEP Guliano Pisapia (S&D).

The program is as follows:

2 pm: opening speech by Ms. Kariane Westrheim, Chair of EUTCC, University of Bergen, Norway

Panel 1:
The Reality of Turkey's Prisons

Moderation: Dersim Dagdeviren, EUTCC board member, KURD-AKAD, Germany

2.15 pm: The 25 Years Imralı Prison System as a Prototype of the State of Emergency Prison System by Mr Rezan Sarıca lawyer, Asrın Law Office

Turkey Imralı and International Legal and Political Dimension by Mr. Ögmundur Jónasson, Former Minister of Justice, Iceland

Questions and Discussion with Moderators and Speakers

Panel 2

Living Solidarity - The Need for a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question

Moderation: Mr. Thomas Phillips, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

2.45: Women's Solidarity: Women as Guarantors of Peace by Ms. Abha Bhaiya, Founder of 1 Billion Rising, India

A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question: International Responsibilities and Perspectives by Ms. Elisabeth Decrey, Former President of the Parliament of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Switzerland

From Prison to a Political Solution by Mr. Walter Baier, President of the Party of the European Left

The Freedom Campaign: International Expectations and Importance by Mr. Sinan Önal, political scientist, journalist, Germany

International Solidarity: the Path to Freedom by Mr. Paolo Ferrero, former Minister of Social Affairs, Italy

Questions and Discussion with Moderators and Speakers

Panel 3

Open the Gates - The Way to Freedom and Peace

Moderation: EUTCC Board