Follow-up report to the concluding observations of the Committee Against Torture on fifth periodic report of Türkiye
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), together with the Foundation for Society and Legal Studies (TOHAV), has submitted a joint follow-up report to the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) on Türkiye’s implementation of the Committee’s priority recommendations.
This submission forms part of the CAT follow-up procedure to the Concluding Observations on Türkiye’s Fifth Periodic Review, adopted during the Committee’s 80th session. The report provides detailed comments on paragraph 17 of those Concluding Observations, in which the Committee calls on Türkiye to:
- Revise the Penal Code and Law No. 5275 on the Execution of Penalties and Security Measures to abolish the penalty of aggravated life imprisonment;
- Ensure that individuals serving life sentences have a realistic and genuine prospect of release or a reduction of their sentence after a reasonable period of time;
- Immediately facilitate family and lawyer visits for Abdullah Öcalan, Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar, and Veysi Aktaş, and refrain from imposing unlawful restrictions on contact, in line with Rules 43(3) and 61 of the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The joint report assesses Türkiye’s compliance with these recommendations, documenting the continued application of aggravated life imprisonment, the absence of a meaningful mechanism for review or release, and the ongoing, prolonged incommunicado regime in İmralı Island Prison. It concludes that Türkiye has not taken substantive steps to address the Committee’s concerns since the adoption of the Concluding Observations.
The full report (English) is available here.
