İSTANBUL - Asrın Law Office's lawyers applied to Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and İmralı Prison Directorate to meet with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, whom they had not heard from for 18 months.

 

Lawyers of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held under severe isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison and they had not heard from for 18 months, applied to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Directorate of İmralı Penitentiary Institution to meet with their client. The application was made by  Raziye Öztürk, Rezan Sarıca, Faik Özgür Erol and Emran Emekçi.

 

NO NEWS FROM ÖCALAN FOR 18 MONTHS

 

Rezan Sarıca and Nevroz Uysal, two of Öcalan's lawyers, were able to meet with their clients after 8 years on May 2-22, June 12-18 and August 7, 2019. Öcalan, who has been held under severe isolation conditions in İmralı High Security F-Type Closed Prison for 22 years, made a phone call yesterday with his brother Mehmet Öcalan after the last phone call on April 27, 2020. However, Mehmet Öcalan had announced that the phonecall was interrupted.

 

BANS BROUGHT BEFORE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

 

The lawyers brought the ban on family visits to the Constitutional Court (AYM) with "unlawful" disciplinary penalties on May 12, following the refusal of the judge. In their application to the Constitutional Court, the lawyers drew attention to "incommunicado" situation, which is the absolute state of lack of communication, and demanded that not being informed is torture to the family, that it violates right to respect for family and private life, the right to defense and fair trial, and the right to an effective remedy.

 

LAST VISIT WAS 18 MONTHS AGO

 

Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under severe isolation conditions in Imralı Prison for 23 years, was given the right to speak on the phone for the first time on April 27, 2020. Öcalan had a telephone conversation with his brother Mehmet Öcalan on March 25, 2021, as public concerns grew after some allegations about his life in social media. However, Mehmet Öcalan announced that this meeting was interrupted.

 

LAWYERS HAVE NOT BEEN IN CONTACT FOR 3 YEARS

 

Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers Rezan Sarıca and Newroz Uysal last met their clients on May 2-22, June 12-18 and August 7, 2019, after 8 years. Lawyers have not been allowed to meet with their clients since then.