24 February 2024
CPT’s Visit to Turkey
A delegation of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment carried out an
ad hoc visit to Turkey from 13 to 22 February 2024.
A special focus was put on the situation of the prisoners held in İmralı High-
Security Prison, including Kurdish Political Leader Abdullah Ocalan. While the
delegation met with many authorities, among them Minister of Justice Yılmaz
Tunç, the island was not visited. In view of the fact that Mr Öcalan has been
completely cut off from the outside world for three years, such a visit would
have been obligatory.
Isolation is torture. The fact that the Council of Europe’s Committee for the
Prevention of Torture does not react adequately and according to its mandate
is totally unacceptable.
We urge the CPT to explain the situation regarding the Imrali High-Security
Prison immediately.
We call upon the Council of Europe to use all possible mechanisms to end this
lawlessness.
EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
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