Kurds are demanding better living conditions for Mr. Ocalan!

Your Excellency, Honorable Ban Ki Moon,

Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, A Kurdish Leader, was captured in Kenya and handed over to Turkey with international collaboration in February 19, 1999. He was charged with treason and revolt against the state for demanding basic human rights such as freedom of speaking Kurdish language, preservation and protection of Kurdish culture and improvement in the life standards of Kurdish people mainly in the Eastern and Southeastern Turkey. He was sentenced to life in prison and has been held in solitary confinement since than in a one man, extremely high security prison island of Imrali in Marmara Sea, Turkey.

We are writing to you today because we are extremely concerned about the current prison conditions of Mr, Ocalan that created serious health problems for him. Mr. Ocalan complained to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) that his health conditions are worsening. CPT Offcial visited Mr. Ocalan and suggested that a new prison to be built with better conditions to accommodate Mr. Ocalan’s health concerns. The new prison was completed and Mr. Ocalan was transfered to the new prison on November 17, 2009. In his most recent meeting with his lawyers, Mr. Ocalan stated that his health conditions are worsened further. The new prison room is less than half the size of its previous room; Kitchen and restroom is next to each other and very small, there is only one window in the very high ceiling to the sky that causing very weak air circulation. As a result of these conditions he wakes up often at night with difficulty in breading air. There is also very disturbing noise caused by an electrical generator adjacent to Mr. Ocalan’s new room. Mr. Ocalan is suffering from respiratory problem, since he has been prisoned he have developed a chronicle sinusitis, his throat is hurting and his body is itching. He described his current condition as living in the death hole. Mr. Ocalan believes that the conditions under which he is kept are deliberately done in order to kill him gradually and systematically.

It is clear that Mr. Ocalan’s life is under systematic torture with intentionally created unhealthy prison conditions. We, the undersigners for this petition, believe that human beings should be treated with respect and dignity, their life and health should be protected and torture of any kind should be banned. In this case, Mr. Ocalan’s health should be protected by the Turkish state and his well being should be monitored and ensured by the European Human Rights Court as well as the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, CPT and United Nations. Known for extreme Human Rights violations and crimes against humanity, Turkish state must be kept responsible for this very unique and high profile case that threatening public unrest and destabilization of the society further given the current political turmoils surrounding Turkey. There were large scale public demonstrations in the city of Mersin and Istanbul today, protesters demanding better living conditions for Mr. Ocalan, where police shot and wounded young people. We are extremely concerned that the situation might get worsen.

We are asking you to please bring this matter to the attention of international organization, share this matter with World Leaders, communicate the urgency of this issue with the sponsors and partners of the Turkish state and pressure Turkish state to improve the living conditions for Mr. Ocalan immediately.

Thank you in advance for taking our concerns for Mr. Ocalan into consideration and holding Turkey responsible for respecting human rights and obeying the international human rights treaties that Turkey signed.

Sincerely,