ISTANBUL - PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been given a 3-month family visit ban. While "disciplinary punishment" was given as the reason for the ban, the lawyers stated that they would apply to the Constitutional Court.

 

For more than 21 months, no news has been heard from Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım, who have been held in the same prison as PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under heavy isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison for 24 years. Family and lawyer meeting applications made by the lawyers of Asrın Law Office, who are Öcalan's lawyers, are blocked on the grounds of "disciplinary penalties" and "barring of visit".

 

BAN ON VISITS

 

The Imrali Disciplinary Board had given a 3-month family visit ban on Öcalan and other prisoners in May last year. The ban expired on September 15. Lawyers of Asrın Law Office made a new application to Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on September 16 to provide family visit. While no response was given to the application, a new family visit application was made to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the İmralı Penitentiary Directorate on September 23; however, this application was also left unanswered.

 

The lawyers then applied to Bursa Execution Judgeship and demanded that they objected to a disciplinary penalty, if any, and that the samples of the decision in the file be given to their parties. The judgeship rejected the application made on October 5. In its refusal reason, the judge claimed that Öcalan and other prisoners were given a 3-month disciplinary penalty on September 9 by the Presidency of the İmralı Disciplinary Board, and this sentence became final on September 28. The objections of the lawyers against the said decision were not taken into consideration.

 

NEW 'FAMILY VISIT BAN' DECISION

 

After the disciplinary punishment given on September 9 ended on December 9, the lawyers made 3 separate applications to both the prison and the prosecutor's office on 15 and 23 December 2022 and 3 January 2023; however, these applications were also unsuccessful.

 

On January 4, Bursa Execution Judge informed lawyers that Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners were given a new 3-month family visit ban. While the reason for the ban was explained as "disciplinary punishment", no information was shared about why the punishment was given and the date of punishment.

 

LAWYERS WILL APPLY TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT  

 

Lawyers appealed the decision on January 10. Bursa High Criminal Court rejected the application on the same day.

 

Asrın Law Office lawyers stated that they will apply to the Constitutional Court (AYM) against the said decision.

 

MA/ Mehmet Aslan