The Swiss Federal Council responded to the motion submitted to it on 15 March 2024 regarding the isolation conditions of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the responsibility of Switzerland at this point. The motion was submitted by Swiss Federal Parliament Deputy Laurence Fehlmann Rielle with the joint signature of 12 deputies.

In its response, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs argued that Switzerland endeavours to improve conditions of detention worldwide as part of its obligation to prevent torture.

Noting that, according to the jurisprudence of international human rights bodies, isolation can be considered inhuman and degrading treatment to human dignity and even torture, the Ministry drew attention to the following:

“Switzerland supports the work of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and encourages Turkey to publish its reports and implement its recommendations.

Switzerland also addresses human rights and the rule of law in its dialogue with Turkey. Within the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security in Europe (OSCE), Switzerland regularly reminds Turkey of its international obligations to respect human rights and the rule of law.

Switzerland also reminds Turkey of the obligation of the member states of the Council of Europe to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

As part of the Universal Periodic Review of Turkey conducted by the UN Human Rights Council on 28 January 2020, Switzerland also made recommendations on the prevention of torture and monitoring of places of detention.”