Restrictions imposed on Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan and a handful of other inmates at a Turkish island prison are not acceptable, an anti-torture group said on Wednesday, urging he be granted more outside contact and less solitary confinement.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) founder, who was initially sentenced to death after his capture by Turkey in 1999 and then to life imprisonment, is jailed on the island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul.
According to the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee's report on a 2019 visit to Turkey, which included rare access to Imrali, he is one of just four prisoners on the island.
The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) spoke to all prisoners and said they were treated "correctly" by prison warders, will no allegations of ill-treatment, while healthcare also appeared good.
But it said the regime the prisoners were under had not improved "at all" since the last such visit in 2016.
It said the four prisoners were still only allowed to meet as a group for six hours per week, and in pairs for another three hours per week, while association during daily outdoor exercise remained prohibited.
"As a result, all prisoners were being held in solitary confinement for most of the time," it said, noting this amounted to 159 hours out of 168 hours per week, including 24 hours per day at weekends.
"In the committee's view, such a state of affairs is not acceptable."
The CPT lamented an almost total absence of family visits in recent years to Ocalan and the turning down of requests for visits from his lawyers since 2019.
"A balance must be struck between such security considerations and the basic human rights of the prisoners concerned," it said, calling for a "sustainable system" of regular visits by family members and lawyers at Imrali.
Ocalan – like hundreds of convicts jailed in the wake of a failed 2016 coup bid – is serving what Turkey calls an aggravated life sentence, a life prison term with added restrictions on the jail routine.
But the CPT said that "the underlying concept of the detention regime of persons sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment is fundamentally flawed", urging a "complete overhaul" of the detention regime for such prisoners.
Ocalan was captured in 1999 by Turkey's secret service in Kenya and sentenced to death, although the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002 when Turkey abolished the death penalty.
The PKK, regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and United States, has since 1984 waged an insurrection for greater rights for the Kurdish minority that has left tens of thousands dead.
It declared a ceasefire in 2013 but this collapsed two years later. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ruled out any new dialogue.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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