[4] Abdullah Öcalan was eventually captured in Nairobi, Kenya, by an operative of the Turkish Secret Service in February 1999 and brought to the prison facility on Imrali island.
Despite being imprisoned for more than 25 years, Öcalan is still respected and seen as the leader of the PKK by several political actors within Turkey and representatives of the Kurdish diaspora.
The new prison was constructed after the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visited the island and objected to the conditions in which he was being held.
[9] In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that there had been a violation of Article 3 regarding his status as the only prisoner on İmralı Island until 17 November 2009.
[12] In addition to his right to listen to the radio and read newspapers, which he had been granted previously, Öcalan was provided with a television in January 2013.
[13] Having been the only inmate until November 2009,[11] Öcalan can now choose to participate in physical activities such as table tennis, volleyball, and basketball, each of which he can play for one hour per week.
[20] Politicians from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) raised the issue of his solitary confinement several times in the Turkish parliament and demanded that Öcalan be allowed to communicate with his relatives and lawyers.
[24] In support of the peace process, the PKK released six Turkish soldiers and two state employees in March 2013, on Öcalan's orders.
[28] Since at least 2015, rallies demanding the liberation of Abdullah Öcalan have been held each February in Strasbourg, the seat of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
[35] Former HDP MPs Leyla Güven, Sebahat Tuncel, and Selma Irmak also participated in hunger strikes.