Members of the London Kurdish People’s Assembly have staged a three-day sit-in at the British Foreign Office in London to protest against the isolation imposed by Turkey on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. Waving flags with Öcalan’s picture and carrying banners reading “Freedom for Öcalan” and “Mandela today, Öcalan tomorrow”, protesters read out a declaration referring to Öcalan as the key to a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem and describing his situation as inhumane and illegal. Co-chairs of the meeting Türkan Budak and Ishak Milani called on the British government to take stronger measures against Turkey.
Germany
Protesters demanding freedom for Abdullah Öcalan gathered at Hauptwache Square in Frankfurt where they set up a tent. The group distributed leaflets about the isolation of Öcalan and plan to continue their protests for two days.
Kurds also gathered outside the Altmarkt Galerie in the centre of the German city of Dresden to protest against Öcalan’s isolation. The protestors distributed leaflets informing the public about the isolation torture Abdullah Öcalan is facing.
Switzerland
At a protest event organised in Bern, Switzerland, speakers stated that the isolation system is illegal and inhumane, and the MP Ferhat Encü recalled that the attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq and northern Syria (Rojava) not only amount to a violation of international rights, but are also a continuation of a comprehensive attack on the culture and identity of the Kurdish people. Nejdet Atalay, exiled former mayor of Batman in eastern Turkey, speaking on behalf of the Democratic Kurdish Council of Switzerland, strongly criticised the attitude of the Turkish government towards the Kurdish people in the 90s, describing it as a form of repression. He called for a wider international reaction to the violations, saying that the council intends to prepare and submit detailed reports to the Swiss authorities.
A two-day sit-in was launched in Geneva as a reminder to the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and international organisations, including the Council of Europe (CoE) and the United Nations, of their responsibilities in the face of Öcalan’s isolation.
Sweden
Demonstrators gathered at the parliament building in the Swedish capital Stockholm calling on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Coucil of Europe (PACE) to investigate the Öcalan’s isolation and to take immediate steps, with the support of the CPT and the Council of Europe’s Legal Affairs Committee, to attain his release, under conditions in which he can participate in a democratic solution in Turkey. The march ended with a traditional Kurdish dance performance.
In #Switzerland 🇨🇭 the Geneva Democratic Kurdish Society sat in front of the 🇺🇳 United Nations Human Rights Council to protest against Abdullah Öcalan’s illegal isolation. They condemned the silence of the CPT, CoE, & UN for ignoring Kurdistan + playing the “three monkeys” 🙉🙈🙊 pic.twitter.com/RFY7jqdh3U
— FREEDOM for ÖCALAN 🕊️ (@Vigil4Ocalan) August 7, 2024
Australia
Political representatives participating in the demonstration calling for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan included the Senator David Shoebridge, the MP Abigail Boyd and Kobi Shetty from the Australian Greens Party of New South Wales.
In 🇦🇺 #Australia, politicians from the Greens party in New South Wales participated in a demonstration for freeing Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. In this clip, Senator David Shoebridge speaks about the issue, alongside MPs Abigail Boyd & Kobi Shetty, plus candidate Ismet Tastan. pic.twitter.com/5yYprXwbmU
— FREEDOM for ÖCALAN 🕊️ (@Vigil4Ocalan) August 6, 2024
Belgium
Hundreds of demonstrators outside the NATO headquarters in Brussels called for justice, and for the CPT and the CoE to intervene for Öcalan before it is too late. The banners read “No compromise on human rights” and “Our patience is running out”.
Protesters sat outside #NATO HQ in Brussels, Belgium demanding accountability for Kurdish political prisoner Abdullah Öcalan. Their signs read “No compromise on human rights!”, “We are running out of patience!”, and called on the CPT & CoE to “End their silence and do their job!” pic.twitter.com/3kKg1p8qR8
— FREEDOM for ÖCALAN 🕊️ (@Vigil4Ocalan) August 5, 2024
Netherlands
Protesters against the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan gathered outside the Foreign Ministry building in the seat of the Dutch government, The Hague, and chanted slogans such as ‘Freedom for Öcalan’. Another demonstration is planned for Amsterdam in the coming days.
These protests, organised simultaneously by human rights activists around the world in response to the imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan, raise broader concerns about human rights and Kurdish cultural identity. The demonstrators are calling for effective and urgent action by international organisations to end Öcalan’s isolation so that his efforts and energies may contribute to the peace process in Turkey.
