🔴Nobel laureates, unions and activists unite to demand rights and recognition for Kurds and freedom for their leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in isolated confinement on a prison island in Turkey. Petition results submitted to key international bodies.… pic.twitter.com/syFKsX2CcD
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) December 4, 2024
A delegation of union leaders and human rights defenders in Argentina has delivered the results of a petition campaign advocating for the freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution for the Kurdish issue. The Latin American petition, held from 13 to 23 November, and organised as part of the global campaign ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan: A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question’, gathered significant support from prominent individuals and organisations.
On 2 December, the delegation submitted the signed petition to Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following visits to the Prime Minister’s Office, the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Among the organisations represented in the delegation were CTA Autónoma Workers’ Federation, Cachito Fukman Militant Assembly, and the Lawyers Guild.
Prominent signatories of the petition include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, feminist journalist Claudia Korol, Uruguayan writer Raúl Zibechi, and members of Argentina’s Mothers of Plaza de Mayo movement. Several MPs, artists, and activists also endorsed the campaign, alongside union leaders, women’s organisations, environmental campaigners, indigenous movements, human rights groups, independent media outlets, and political parties.
María José Cano, Human Rights Director of CTA Autónoma, stated, “We are here to convey the significant results of our 10-day campaign. Our demands include Öcalan’s freedom and the recognition of the Kurdish people through a political solution. This remarkable achievement in such a short time is a testament to the support we have received. We will persist until these demands are met.”
Eduardo Soares of the Lawyers’ Guild highlighted that regional conflicts must be resolved peacefully. “Any attempt to end these conflicts through punitive or repressive measures will only deepen chaos. A peaceful solution for the Kurdish people requires Öcalan’s release,” he added.
Carlos Loza of Cachito Fukman Militant Assembly expressed solidarity with the Kurdish struggle for autonomy. “The attacks by Turkey, Iran, and Syrian forces are unacceptable. We support the Kurdish people’s fight for status and demand Öcalan’s freedom,” he said.
The campaign organisers have announced plans to also submit the petition to international organisations including Amnesty International, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and the European Court of Human Rights.
