IMRALI ISLAND PRISON 2023 OBSERVATION AND DETECTION REPORT
1. İmralı Island Prison was built as a single-person and single-cell prison with the feature of isolation within isolation from the beginning. The only prisoner of this prison until November 2009 was my client, Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. Although other prisoners were transferred to him after the building was renovated and additional cells were added in 2009, they were also subjected to much more severe practices than the prison they were in before, namely the ‘İmralı Isolation System’ designed and implemented specifically for Mr. Öcalan. The only change after November 2009 was that the single-person isolation regime implemented until that day was transformed into group isolation after that date.After being held in İmralı for 6 years, they were transferred to other prisons. Our clients Mr. Hamili Yıldırım, Mr. Ömer Hayri Konar, Mr. Veysi Aktaş, who were brought to their places on 16-17 March 2015, were subjected to the absolute isolation and incommunicado policy that was implemented specifically for Mr. Öcalan in every way. On this basis, no news has been received from them for approximately 3 years.
II. ABSOLUTE NON-COMMUNICATION AND INABILITY TO RECEIVE NEWS
2. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement at the İmralı Island Prison since February 15, 1999. For the first ten years, he was
the only prisoner in this single-cell island prison. Although 5 prisoners were brought in on November 17, 2009, he continued to be held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day during the week and 24 hours a day during the weekend. For the first twelve years, his right to see a lawyer was restricted to one hour once a week, contrary to the law, but even the exercise of these limited rights was constantly prevented with excuses such as “bad weather” and “the coaster is broken”. From July 27, 2011 to the present, he has only been able to see a lawyer for 5 times between May and August 2019. The last of these five visits was on August 7, 2019. He has only been able to see a family for 5 times since 2014.The last face-to-face meeting was with his brother on March 3, 2020. Since the first day, he has only been able to have a phone call twice (on April 27, 2020 and March 25, 2021). The last phone call on March 25, 2021 was cut short very quickly and the call could not be continued. He has not been heard from since that day.
3. Mr. Çetin Arkaş and Mr. Nasrullah Kuran, who were transferred to İmralı with other clients on March 16-17, 2015, were taken to Marmara Closed Prison against their will on December 26, 2015, leaving three clients in İmralı, other than Mr. Öcalan. Client Hamili Yıldırım has not been allowed to have a single meeting with his lawyers since March 29, 2015, when he was brought to İmralı Island Prison. In 8 years, he has only been able to have a family visit twice. The last face-to-face meeting with him was the family meeting on 12 August 2019. He has only been able to have 2 phone calls, on 27 April 2020 and 25 March 2021. There has been no news from him since 25 March 2021.
4. Client Ömer Hayri Konar has never been allowed to meet with his lawyers since the day he was brought to İmralı Island Prison on 16-17 March 2015. He has only been able to have a family visit 3 times in 8 years. The last face-to-face meeting with him was the family meeting on 3 March 2020. After the date he was brought to İmralı Island Prison, he was allowed to have a phone call once, on 27 April 2020, due to the epidemic. The prosecutor’s office informed the family that he did not attend the phone call dated March 25, 2021, on the grounds that he was protesting the conditions he was being held in. There has been no news from him since April 27, 2020.