European rights court dismisses complaint of jailed PKK leader

PARIS - Anadolu Agency

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Sept. 27 dismissed a complaint filed by the PKK’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

Öcalan claimed he had been tortured and threatened by İmralı prison guards on Oct. 7, 2008 during a search in his cell.

The ECHR unanimously ruled the application “inadmissible” and found that there was no arguable claim that Öcalan “had been subjected to treatment in breach of Article 3 of the Convention.”

“The Court observed in particular that, on the day of the alleged incidents and on the following days, Abdullah Öcalan had been examined by a number of doctors, who had not found any signs of physical injury or mental distress,” the top EU court said in a statement.

The court added that Öcalan had not “himself mentioned anything of the sort” or “filed a complaint with the prison administration or the public prosecutor responsible for the prison.”

“As to the investigation, the Court explained that in the absence of any arguable claims, the national authorities did not have any obligation to conduct an effective investigation,” the ECHR said.

The decision is final, according to the top EU court.

Öcalan, who is the convicted head of the PKK, has been jailed in Turkey since 1999.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.