German lawyer Heike Geisweid said that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan is a violation of international law and human rights, and that his freedom is a very important and vital issue for the solution of the Kurdish question.
German lawyer Heike Geisweid, one of 1,500 lawyers from more than 30 countries who applied to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, spoke to ANF about the absolute isolation imposed on him and the violation of his "right to hope".
Geisweid said: "Abdullah Öcalan has been in prison for 25 years and spent most of this time in solitary confinement in Imrali. Öcalan has limited contact with the other 4 prisoners and has not been allowed to meet with his lawyers since 2019. Öcalan spends 23 hours a day in a closed cell. This situation is against international law and is unacceptable. Prison conditions must be improved."
The silence of Europe in the face of torture and isolation is shameful
Geisweid drew attention to the “Right to Hope” decision made by the ECHR in 2014 and said: “This means that a person sentenced to life imprisonment has the right to hope to be released after serving 25 years in jail. Turkey violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This article prohibits torture and degrading treatment. Turkey has not incorporated this decision into its legal system. The Council of Europe and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) did not exert as much pressure as they should have. The European Union also refrained from pressuring Turkey due to its political and economic interests. The silence of Western states is shameful. It is shameful that the world public opinion accepts and normalizes this situation.”
‘Öcalan plays a key role in the solution to the Kurdish question’
Lawyer Geisweid said: “Isolation is not only applied to Öcalan, but also to other political prisoners. Öcalan is not just a prisoner. He also plays a key role in solving the Kurdish question in Turkey. A solution to the Kurdish question can only be possible through negotiations with Öcalan. Therefore, Öcalan’s freedom is an important and vital issue.”
Geisweid said that a letter was sent to the Turkish Ministry of Justice within the scope of the campaign signed by 1,500 lawyers from 30 countries, and made the following call: “Öcalan has been in jail for 25 years. The international community should take action against Turkey in order to protect human rights and should put political pressure on the Turkish government. Öcalan should be released as a priority, because his freedom is not only a humanitarian issue, but is also vital for the solution of the Kurdish question."
