No news has been received from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in İmralı Type F High Security Prison under heavy isolation conditions for 41 months. PKK Leader Öcalan's brother Mehmet Öcalan and his guardian Mazlum Dinç applied to Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and İmralı Prison Directorate with a demand to meet with Öcalan. Ali Konar, brother of Ömer Hayri Konar, Polat Yıldırım, brother of Hamili Yıldırım and Melihe Çetin, sister of Veysi Aktaş, also applied to the prosecutor's office and the prison directorate for a meeting.

 

AT LEAST 7 FAMILY VISIT BAN ORDERS 

 

Abdullah Öcalan and 3 other prisoners in İmralı are prevented from meeting with their families due to "disciplinary penalties". Between 2021-2024, Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners were given disciplinary penalties at least 7 times, 3 months each, and were prevented from meeting with their families. The reasons and file numbers of the disciplinary penalties are not shared with their lawyers despite all applications. 

 

As a result of the applications made by Asrin Law Office lawyers to Bursa Execution Judgeship, the judgeship stated that disciplinary penalties were given for 3 months on August 18, 2021, 3 months on February 3, 2022, 3 months on May 31, 2022, and 3 months on September 9, 2022. The judgeship responded to the application of the lawyers on July 10, 2023 on July 19 and stated that the disciplinary penalty was 3 months without specifying the date. The court responded on October 13 to the application made by the lawyers on October 10, 2023 to Bursa Execution Judgeship with the demand for family visits and stated that there was a new disciplinary penalty against Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners. The judge's office did not share the file number of the disciplinary punishment, citing "reflect in press" as the reason.

 

The court, responding to the application made by lawyers in 2024 by Bursa Execution Judgeship requesting family visits, stated that Abdullah Öcalan was given a new "disciplinary punishment" by the Disciplinary Board Presidency on March 28. It is learned that the decision became final on April 12. On April 26, the lawyers made an application for the disciplinary decision, file and evidence. However, their applications were rejected. Lawyers' appeals against the "disciplinary punishment" were rejected on the grounds that the decision was finalized.

 

Upon the expiration of this period, the lawyers applied again to Bursa Execution Judgeship with the demand for family visitation. The judge's office responded to the application that family visitation was banned for 3 months on the grounds that Abdullah Öcalan and 3 other prisoners were given a new "disciplinary punishment" by the Disciplinary Board on July 4. While the information and documents requested by the lawyers regarding the file were not provided, an appeal was filed against the decision.