For Öcalan, ‘Nelson Mandela rules’ are a distant dream

The UN’s expanded guidelines for the protection of prisoners are known as the ‘Nelson Mandela laws’, in honour of the celebrated political prisoner. They enshrine crucial rights as to prisoners’ inherent dignity and value, prohibiting torture, ill-treatment, and various forms of degradation and restraint, notably restricting the use of solitary confinement, to Mandela “the most forbidding aspect of prison life.” In Öcalan’s case, it is clear these guidelines are not being observed.