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| ANKARA - Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the high-security prison on Imrali Island was built in line with the international standards. In response to a question about imprisonment conditions of Abdullah Ocalan, head of the PKK terrorist organization, Burak Ozugergin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "we invited a delegation from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture to come and see the existing conditions in the new prison building. A date will be set for the visit of the delegation in the coming days." Asked whether a draft submitted to the parliament paved the way for retrial of Ocalan, Ozugergin said, "neither the European Court of Human Rights nor the Council of Europe demanded retrial of Ocalan. Furthermore, there is not any decision made by the European Court of Human Rights that could lead to such a demand. The draft prepared by the Ministry of Justice to amend the Article 311 of the Law of Criminal Procedure has nothing to do with Ocalan. The draft concerns nearly 200 people. Earlier, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that their right to fair trial was violated. Ocalan can never benefit from this amendment." |