CPT notes improvement in Ocalan’s detention but will keep monitoring

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) released the report on the condition of Abdullah Ocalan accompanied by Turkish government’s response. According to the report the conditions are getting better but not enough and will be monitoring after that by monthly reports.
Here are the requests of CPT and answers of Secretary of the State of Turkey. The Committee fails to see why Abdullah Öcalan is denied all contact with other prisoners during outdoor exercise asks CPT. Here is the answer of Turkey; Ocalan has disciplinary punishments and that is why he has just two hours to meet with others instead of four hours.
The CPT also wishes to raise once again the issue of access to television for Abdullah Öcalan. Whereas all other prisoners at Imral? Prison had a television set in their cells, Abdullah Öcalan was still not allowed to rent or purchase a television set, despite the specific recommendation repeatedly made by the Committee in the past.”The Committee would like to receive the Turkish authorities’ comments on this matter. Turkish authorities say the same excuse like above and adds “he can establish armed organization, send messages to the member of organization or lead the organization by TV.”
The CPT calls upon the Turkish authorities to take the necessary steps (if necessary, at the legislative level) to ensure that every prisoner is allowed to receive a “table visit” once a month from his/her closest living relatives (in the case of Abdullah Öcalan, his brother and sister). The Committee also recommends that all prisoners held at Imral? Prison be allowed to accumulate any unused visiting periods (bearing in mind the geographical isolation of Imral? island. And also the CPT would like to receive confirmation that all recently-arrived prisoners are now able to make two ten-minute telephone calls per month. Therefore, the CPT must reiterate once again its recommendation that Abdullah Öcalan be allowed to speak on the telephone with members of his family (calls being subject to monitoring and, if necessary, interrupted). Here the answer of Turkish government; he has disciplinary punishment that is why he cannot use these rights and his brother and sister are not contained as the close relative according to our arrangements on prisons.
The CPT recommends that the provision of health care to prisoners at Imral? Prison be reviewed, in the light of the remarks made in paragraphs 33 and 34. Immediate steps should be taken to open for every prisoner a comprehensive individual medical file which is accessible only to medical staff. Instead of fulfilling CPT requirements, government says; as of 12 May 2010, the practice of daily medical check of convict Ocalan has been terminated. But there are monthly check and other opportunities to access the medical care.
As a conclusion CPT said there is some development but they need to be maintain and also the new steps need to be taken by Turkish government. That is why the CPT will continue to observe the condition of Abdullah Ocalan and ask monthly and detailed report about the marked conditions which need to be improved. CPT also asked Turkish government to arrange the condition in order to receive the letters from prisoners.
Here are the last sentences of the CPT reports which shows its doubt about improvement of the conditions in the Imral? Prison; “However, it will continue to monitor closely the situation of Abdullah Öcalan (as well as that of the other prisoners at Imral? Prison), and will not hesitate to re-open the above-mentioned procedure if it becomes apparent that the above-mentioned improvements are not sustained.

---