The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Amed (Diyarbakır) Branch held a press statement at its association building ahead of the rally to be organized with the demand for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. The statement was attended by numerous lawyers. The Kurdish version of the text was read by ÖHD Amed Branch Co-Chair Muhittin Muğuç, while the Turkish version was delivered by ÖHD Central Executive Board member Adile Salman.
The statement noted that, amid a process in which the principle of the rule of law in Turkey has been systematically eroded and exceptional and extraordinary practices have been rendered permanent, the construction of peace, a democratic society, and an equal life has become an urgent legal and political necessity that can no longer be postponed. It stressed that without establishing a legal foundation for peace and a democratic solution, neither Turkey nor the Middle East can emerge from the deepening political and social crises.
ECtHR rulings recalled
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings were recalled by the ÖHD, with particular reference to Öcalan v. Turkey (No. 2). The court has determined through final and binding judgments that the imposition of aggravated life imprisonment without the possibility of conditional release constitutes a violation of the prohibition of torture. It was noted that the ECtHR explicitly stated that legislative measures guaranteeing the “right to hope” are mandatory to remedy this violation.
The statement emphasized that more than eleven years have passed since the ECtHR’s ruling, yet Turkey has failed to enact the necessary legal amendments. This failure was described as a structural and systematic violation affecting thousands of prisoners. Attention was also drawn to the fact that the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has repeatedly pointed out that ECtHR judgments remain unimplemented.
Parliament is obligated
The statement stressed that enforcement regimes which absolutely deny the possibility of freedom make the legal foundations of peace impossible. It underlined that indefinite sentences and practices of severe isolation violate human dignity. On this basis, it emphasized that Parliament is obligated to enact, without delay, legal regulations that guarantee the “right to hope” and place freedom at the center of the law.
ÖHD also recalled the words of Abdullah Öcalan, who stated that “the principle of hope is a step the state must take.” It noted that implementing the right to hope, ensuring physical freedom, and constructing a legal framework for democratic integration constitute the fundamental conditions for lasting peace.
Call to Amed on 4 January
ÖHD stated that the “Hope and Freedom Rally,” to be held on 4 January at Amed Station Square, constitutes an important public call for implementing the right to hope as both a legal and social obligation. The rally aims to strongly affirm that peace can only be achieved on a legal foundation where rights and freedoms are fully guaranteed.
The statement concluded with the following call: “We call on all lawyers, democratic institutions, and our people to come together at Amed Station Square on 4 January to ensure the immediate implementation of the right to hope and the full execution of the decisions of ECtHR and the United Nations. Defending the right to hope means defending peace.”