International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com
Cologne, 5 February 2003
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIEFINGS:
European Democratic Lawyers call for an
end of Ocalans solitary confinement
Today again Abdulah Ocalans lawyers were not allowed to
see their client. Again bad weather was used as a pretext. He now
has been completely isolated for more than ten weeks.
We therefore document a motion by the European Lawyer Federation
(AED) that was presented on February, 1st in Rome:
(...)
The Commission Défense de la Défense of the European
Lawyer Federation AED (European Democratic Lawyers) is alarmed about
the fact, that our Turkish colleagues, who are working as defence
counsels for Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, are unable to perform their
professional duties.
As we learn from our Turkish colleagues, Mr. Öcalan is in
solitary confinement under conditions of severe isolation on the
prison-island of Imrali since his illegal seizure in Kenya and transfer
to Turkey on February 15, 1999.
According to his lawyers, Mr. Öcalan has not had any outside
contact for more than eight weeks. For two months there have been
absolutely no visitors, neither lawyers nor relatives. The last
meeting with his lawyers was on November 27, 2002.
All these weeks, the lawyers of Mr. Öcalan travelled in vain
to the harbour of Mudanya, in order to cross over to Imrali. All
these weeks, the authorities denied them visiting their client,
claiming there would be bad weather conditions or heavy fog.
This is why, in particular, the lawyers of Mr. Öcalan are
not able to provide appropriate legal assistance, since there are
several cases pending, as well in Turkey as before the ECHR in Strasbourg.
As the visits of our colleagues could have carried out easily on
another day - weather conditions having changed - we must state,
that the authorities are barring the lawyers of Mr. Öcalan
from any contact to their client.
This leads to a complete isolation of Mr Öcalan from the outside
world. Considering the isolation as kind of torture, isolation has
serious physical, psychological and mental affects on those, who
have to live alone for a long time. The anti-torture committee (CPT)
of the European Council recently also requested Turkey to lift this
isolation.
Before November 2002 - under circumstances, which we can not define
as "normal", - the lawyers of Mr. Öcalan at least
had been permitted to visit him once a week, on Wednesdays, for
one hour.
To our opinion, such restriction, especially the current exclusion
in the Defence Lawyers access to Mr. Öcalan is not tolerable.
Its impossible for them, to consult with their client in a normal
and effective manner.
This situation, caused by the authorities of the Turkish Armed
Forces, as the prison-island lies within a restricted military zone
in the Sea of Marmara - infringes the principles of a constitutional
state, violates the EHRC and forms finally a violation of the UN
Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Article 16 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers states,
"Governments shall ensure, that lawyers are able to perform
all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance,
harassment or improper interference." These Basic Principles
were adopted by the Eighth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime
and Treatment of Offenders in 1990 in Havana and welcomed by the
General Assembly of the UN, including the Turkish government. They
are designed to set guidelines for the proper role of lawyers.
This is why the Commission Défense de la Défense
of the European Lawyer Federation AED (European Democratic Lawyers)
claims, that
1) military influence over the prison-island must be removed in
order to ensure the separation of powers and the independence of
the judiciary, as required in the Turkish Constitution.
2) the lawyers representing Mr. Öcalan have to have free access
to their client.
Rome, February 1st, 2003 The Commission Défense de la Défense
of the European Lawyer Federation AED (European Democratic Lawyers)
++++++++++++++
Constituée en octobre 1987 sous forme d'une confédération
de syndicats et d'organisations d'avocats ayant un même idéal
démocratique, l'association "AVOCATS EUROPEENS DEMOCRATES"
(A.E.D.) a vu ses statuts définitivement adoptés,
à Strasbourg, le 21 avril 1990 ( enregistrés au registre
des associations du Tribunal d'Instance de Colmar en date du 4 juillet
1990).
Dès sa création l'association a regroupé sept
organisations d'avocats :
- Le Syndicat des Avocats de France (S.A.F.) - La Confederazione
Nazionale Delle Associazoni Sindicali Forensi d'Italia (Italie)
- Le Republikanischer Anwältinnen und Anwälteverein (RAV
- Allemagne).
- L'Associació Catalana per a la Defensa dels Drets Humans
(Barcelone)
- De Vereniging Sociale Advokatuur Nederland (VSAN)
- Le Syndicat des Avocats pour la Démocratie (S.A.D. - Belgique).
- L'Asociación Libre Abogados (ALA - Madrid).
- L'Euskal Herriko Abokatuen Elkartea (ESKUBIDEAK - Pays Basque).
L'A.E.D. entend défendre les droits des citoyens en préservant
l'indépendance des avocats à l'égard de tout
pouvoir, qu'il soit politique, social, économique ou ordinal.
En tant qu'organisation professionnelle, l'A.E.D. s'est donné
pour objet, sur le plan international, de faire respecter les droits
de la défense et notamment de préserver l'intégrité
physique ainsi que les libertés politiques et économiques
des avocats.
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