Imprisonment Of Abdullah Öcalan
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Abdullah Öcalan Abdullah Öcalan ( ; ; born 4 April 1948 or 1949), also known as Apo (short for Abdullah in Turkish; Kurdish for "uncle"), is a founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Öcalan was based in Syria from 1979 to 1998. He ...
has been imprisoned on İmralı Island in the
Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara, also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, is a small inland sea entirely within the borders of Turkey. It links the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea via the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, separating Turkey's E ...
since February 1999. He is serving a life sentence for violating Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code. Initially, he was sentenced to death, but the conviction was commuted to a life sentence in October 2002.


Background

Abdullah Öcalan is a founder of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...
(PKK), a militant group that initially aimed for an independent
Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...
but later adapted its demands to focus on cultural and political rights for the Kurds. He led the PKK and its struggle from bases in
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
and
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
until he was expelled from Syria in October 1998. Following his expulsion, he toured several countries in Europe and Africa, all of which refused to either detain and try him or grant him asylum.


Capture and trial

Abdullah Öcalan was eventually captured in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, Kenya, by an operative of the Turkish Secret Service in February 1999 and brought to the prison facility on Imrali island. His
trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...
began on 31 May 1999 and concluded on 29 June with a death sentence for treason and separatism. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in October 2002. Despite being imprisoned for more than 25 years, Öcalan is still respected and seen as the leader of the PKK by several political actors within Turkey and representatives of the Kurdish diaspora. His calls to lay down arms, turn themselves in, and hold peace negotiations have often been followed by members of the PKK. In the past, peace negotiations were also facilitated by the Turkish authorities.


Detention conditions

Since his capture in February 1999, Öcalan has spent several years in solitary confinement on İmralı Island. In November 2009, five other prisoners were brought to the island, where a new detention facility had been built. The new prison was constructed after the Council of Europe's
Committee for the Prevention of Torture A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
(CPT) visited the island and objected to the conditions in which he was being held. Turkish authorities announced that Öcalan would be allowed to engage with the other prisoners for ten hours a week. In 2014, the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...
(ECHR) ruled that there had been a violation of Article 3 regarding his status as the only prisoner on İmralı Island until 17 November 2009.


Detention facility

In 2010, the CPT visited İmralı prison and noted that Öcalan had received reasonable improvements in his treatment. He is housed in a cell of about 10m² with access to a sanitary compound of about 2m². The cell has enough space for a table, chairs, a bed, and a sink. Additionally, he has access to an outdoor facility of 24m². The cell lacks a direct natural light source, due to the 7-meter-high wall surrounding both the cell and the outdoor facility. In addition to his right to listen to the radio and read newspapers, which he had been granted previously, Öcalan was provided with a television in January 2013.


Interactions between inmates

Having been the only inmate until November 2009, Öcalan can now choose to participate in physical activities such as table tennis, volleyball, and basketball, each of which he can play for one hour per week. Additionally, he is allowed to play chess for one hour per week. On İmralı, inmates can meet once a week for a so-called "conversation hour."


Visitation rights

From 27 July 2011 until 2 May 2019, Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers were not allowed to meet with him. From July 2011 until December 2017, his lawyers filed more than 700 appeals for visits, all of which were rejected. Öcalan was banned from receiving visits for nearly two years, from 6 October 2014 until 11 September 2016, when his brother Mehmet Öcalan visited him for
Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...
. On 6 September 2018, visits from lawyers were banned for six months due to previous punishments Öcalan received between 2005 and 2009, the fact that his lawyers made their conversations with him public, and the belief that Öcalan was leading the PKK through communications with his lawyers. He was again banned from receiving visits until 12 January 2019, when his brother was allowed to visit him a second time. His brother reported that his health was good. The ban on lawyer visits was lifted in April 2019, and Öcalan saw his lawyers on 2 May 2019.


Political influences

In 2011, almost a hundred Kurdish mayors were charged with terror propaganda for demanding better detention conditions for Öcalan. Politicians from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) raised the issue of his solitary confinement several times in the
Turkish parliament The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( ), usually referred to simply as the GNAT or TBMM, also referred to as , in Turkish, is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...
and demanded that Öcalan be allowed to communicate with his relatives and lawyers. During the peace process between the PKK and Turkey, Öcalan received visits from politicians of the
Peace and Democracy Party The Peace and Democracy Party (, , BDP) was a Kurdish political party in Turkey existing from 2008 to 2014. Development BDP succeeded the Democratic Society Party (DTP) in 2008, following the closure of the latter party for its alleged conne ...
(BDP), between January and March 2013. In support of the peace process, the PKK released six Turkish soldiers and two state employees in March 2013, on Öcalan's orders.


Popular campaigns caused by the imprisonment

After Öcalan's capture, rallies were organized outside embassies in several countries. When security guards opened fire on intruders at the Israeli consulate in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, two people were killed. Of the seventy-four individuals who self-immolated in protest of his capture, sixteen died. Regular demonstrations have been held by the Kurdish community to raise awareness of Öcalan's isolation. Since at least 2015, rallies demanding the liberation of Abdullah Öcalan have been held each February in
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
, the seat of the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...
(ECHR).


Hunger Strikes

Over 140 Kurdish associations organized hunger strikes in protest of Öcalan's capture. In later years, hunger strikes were held demanding an end to Öcalan's solitary confinement. In September 2012, some prisoners began a hunger strike, which over time involved thousands of prisoners, as well as politicians from pro-Kurdish parties. In November 2012, about 10,000 Kurdish prisoners joined the hunger strike, calling for better detention conditions for Öcalan, the right to use the Kurdish language in trials, and the start of peace negotiations between Turkey and the
Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...
(PKK). The strike lasted for sixty-eight days until Öcalan demanded its end. Several politicians from the HDP participated in hunger strikes demanding improved detention conditions. Former HDP MPs
Leyla Güven Leyla Güven (born 6 May 1964, Cihanbeyli, Konya Province, Konya, Turkey) is a Kurdish politician and Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey), HDP MP for Hakkari (electoral district), Hakkari, co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and form ...
,
Sebahat Tuncel Sebahat Tuncel (born 5 July 1975) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin, women's rights advocate, former nurse and member of the Parliament in Turkey. She was elected a member of parliament while being in prison. Early life and education ...
, and Selma Irmak also participated in hunger strikes. Leyla Güven ended her hunger strike in May 2019 only after Öcalan was able to receive a visit from his lawyers and called for an end to the hunger strikes.


References

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External links


Timeline of Abdullah Öcalan imprisonment
Abdullah Öcalan Human rights in Turkey Kurdistan Workers' Party Human rights in Kurdistan