| The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Turkey for violating the human rights of jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. The court ruled that Ocalan did not receive a fair trial. He is currently serving a life sentence as the sole inmate on the prison island of Imrali. Ocalan was originally sentenced to death in June 1999 for his role in a 16-year guerrilla war against the Turkish authorities. In October last year the death sentence was commuted to life in prison, with no chance of parole. The court in Strasbourg ruled that Ocalan was "not tried by an independent and impartial tribunal". But on other complaints lodged by Ocalan's lawyers, the court ruled in Turkey's favour. It rejected charges that Ocalan's conditions of detention were inhumane or that he had been illegally detained. Both sides have three months to lodge an appeal. Turkey abolished capital punishment as part of reforms aimed at boosting its chances of joining the European Union. |