CPT in Imralı

17 January 2013 – The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture visits Imralı today – ANF – The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture delegation has arrived on Imralı island today. The Committee will examine the prison conditions of leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The Committee’s visit had been announced after Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Ahmet Türk and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Batman MP Ayla Akat have visited Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in Imralı prison on 3 January. Lawyers for the Kurdish leader have been denied once again permission to visit their client, who has not seen them since 27 July 2011. Öcalan has been allowed to see his brother Mehmet on 14 January, five days after the execution of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez in Paris.