The European Court of Human Rights has recently ruled out PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers' appeal pertaining to the ruling on his imprisonment conditions.Prosecutors defending Öcalan's case have previously requested an appeal for the case to be deliberated by a panel of 18 judges as they claimed Öcalan's imprisonment conditions contravened European Human Rights principles. In response to this, the ECHR has stated that the claims were unfounded as Öcalan's imprisonment conditions have improved since 2009.The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has paid six visits to Öcalan in İmralı Prison since 1999. In a report released in March 2013, CPT has stated that there were no issues regarding Öcalan's imprisonment conditions and that he does not receive maltreatment. Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the outlawed PKK recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, European Union and the United States is currently serving a life sentence in İmralı Prison.