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Kurdish groups and their European supporters continued for the second day of a three-day vigil outside of the Strasbourg offices of the Council of Europe (CoE) on Tuesday, demanding information on the health and wellbeing of Abdullah Öcalan, the founding leader of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Organised by Kurdish associations and the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E), the second day was led by Fed-Gel, an association based in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, and the Federation of Democratic Societies of Kurdistan in the Saarland and Hesse states (FCDK-KAWA).
A delegation of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the International Women’s Committee for Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and a group of lawyers also participated the vigil to discuss Öcalan’s situation.
During the vigil, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) co-chair Ahmet Karamus spoke about the strict prison conditions of Öcalan, who has not been able to meet his family and lawyers for 22 months.
European Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK-E) co-chair Yüksel Koç said that there was no public information on whether the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visited Öcalan in their September visit to the İmralı island prison, adding to concerns over the PKK leader’s health and safety.
Ending the absolute isolation imposed on Öcalan is not an individual demand but a matter that concerns all Kurds, lawyer Ömer Güneş from the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Platform said.
The vigil will conclude with a rally on Wednesday, with participation from MEPs.
