Access to Imrali Island Prison Denied for IHD

Ministry of Justice remains silent for Human Rights Associations request to examine the prison conditions of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. A group of IHD officials were denied access to the Imrali island. by the land officers in Gemlik.

İstanbul

The Human Rights Association (IHD) is yet to get a response from the Ministry Of Justice since 31st of January.in order to examine the conditions in Imrali Prison where PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan serves his lifetime sentence.

Unfortunately the Ministry of Justice did not respond to our request, either positively or negatively, which has been the case in our previous applications too, says lawyer Yusuf Alataş, head of IHD.

IHD Board has decided to form an investigation committee of 12 to visit Imrali Prison upon a recourse by the lawyers of Abdullah Öcalan who are concerned for their defendants conditions in the prison.

Alataş says: Our committee was in Gemlik, Bursa on Wednesday. They negotiated with the military officials there. But the officials did not permit them to make an investigation. The Ministry of Justice had the authority to give a permission, not them, they told.

According to Alataş, lawyers of Abdullah Öcalan to were not permitted to go to the island due to bad weather conditions.

The committee had a talk with the deputy Chief Prosecutor in charge of Imrali Prison. Yet he too said that the Ministry of Justice had the authority and they could do nothing about the issue. (YS/BB/OA/YE)