COLEMÊRG - Stating that the Kurdish issue should be resolved, İHD Colemêrg Branch CoChair Sibel Çapraz said:" The  independent delegations should be sent to İmralı Island."

 

There has been no news for 33 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in severe isolation conditions for 25 years in İmralı High Security Prison, where he was brought on February 15, 1999, with an international conspiracy. These bans imposed on Abdullah Öcalan, who was prevented from seeing his family and lawyers on the grounds of "bad coaster" and "unfriendly weather" after his arrival in İmralı, were continued 4 times for 6 months within the scope of the State of Emergency (OHAL) following the July 15 coup attempt. The fact that there has been no news from Abdullah Öcalan for 33 months, who was prevented from seeing his family and lawyers with the punishments given under the name of "discipline", deepened the public's concerns.

 

While the campaign launched all over the world to demand the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan continues, thousands of prisoners in prisons started a hunger strike on November 27 with the same demand. Underlining that the demands of the prisoners on hunger strike must be met, Human Rights Association (IHD) Colemêrg Branch Co-chair Sibel Çapraz said that independent delegations should be sent to İmralı immediately.

 

Human Rights Association (IHD) Colemêrg Branch Co-chair Sibel Çapraz

 

THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF ÖCALAN 

 

Stating that the AKP-MHP government's policies of deadlock on the Kurdish issue have been deepened with the aggravated isolation system in Imrali, Çapraz said: “Isolation has spread to all areas since 2015. There has been no news from Öcalan since 2019. Naturally, it is a justified attitude that the people and the prisoners, including the families of the other 3 convicts detained with Öcalan, have concerns about their life and health."

 

REFLECTIONS OF ISOLATION ON PRISONERS

 

Drawing attention to the effects of isolation policies on prisoners, Çapraz said: "As a result, seriously ill prisoners were not released. There are more than 1,500 ill prisoners in prisons, 651 of whom are seriously ill. The rights of prisoners in prisons to access health have been completely usurped. Seriously ill prisoners are not released before they reach the point of death or are seriously damaged or disabled."

 

THE MAIN REASON OF THE HUNGER STRIKE

 

Underlining the need to end the isolation in İmralı and find a solution to the Kurdish issue, Çapraz said: “Negotiations should be held with Öcalan, who is the addressee of the Kurdish issue and a solution should be found. The hunger strikes launched in prisons are a reaction to the problems continuing without a solution. The main reason why the prisoners started hunger strikes is the deadlock in the Kurdish issue and the isolation policies that started with Öcalan and are implemented in society as a whole."

 

Emphasizing that the ongoing problems can be solved with isolation policies, Çapraz said: “The solution is clear and the key is clear. The isolation has spread in waves throughout the country. The government needs to find an immediate solution before these strikes become even more serious."

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN

 

Stating that Abdullah Öcalan's social importance should be seen, Çapraz said: "As İHD, they applied to the Ministry of Justice to send a delegation to İmralı Island in order to ensure the rising demands for his freedom. We hope that this request will be answered as soon as possible. An independent delegation should go to İmralı Island as soon as possible, see the conditions there, observe the prisoners there, and return with information that will reassure the public and respond to the public. We want our requests to immediately send independent delegations to İmralı Island to be accepted. We want the Kurdish issue to be resolved with its interlocutor." 

 

MA / Mazlum Engindeniz