Turkey's Breach Of Human Rights For Ocalan

EDM number 396 in 2009-10, proposed by Hywel Williams on 08/12/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Asia and Human rights.

That this House acknowledges the inhumane conditions of imprisonment endured by Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan under solitary confinement since 1999 on the Imrali island prison in the Mamara sea, Turkey; regrets Ocalan's deleterious mental and physical condition suffered as a result of his inhumane conditions of imprisonment since that time; notes that these conditions have included allegations in 1997 of heavy metal poisoning and that the existence of exceptionally high levels of heavy metals in Ocalan's blood was evidenced by laboratory reports and confirmed by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT); supports the findings of the CPT that Ocalan's conditions of imprisonment contravene international law on the rights of the prisoner, and the CPT's recommendations that Ocalan be moved; further regrets that in moving Ocalan to a new prison, Turkey has provided conditions of imprisonment significantly worse than before; further notes the new conditions of imprisonment including the fact that the cell is half the size of that in which he was previously held and lacks air circulation, thus causing Ocalan severe breathing difficulties and loss of bodily functions; further notes reports from Ocalan and his lawyers that the current conditions are seriously deleterious to his health and life; urges the UK Government to request the CPT urgently to conduct a visit and inspection; and further urges the UK Government to put the utmost diplomatic pressure on Turkey to provide humane conditions of imprisonment to Ocalan.

This motion has been signed by a total of 26 MPs.