In February 2024, activists and supporters from around the world will mark the 25th anniversary of the arrest of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, which the Kurdish community believes was the result of an international conspiracy involving the security services of several nations, including the CIA, MI5 and Mossad.
Öcalan was captured in Kenya on 15 February 1999 and forcibly transferred to Turkey. His arrest remains controversial, with legal experts arguing that it violated both Kenyan law and international legal principles.
Since then, he has been held in İmralı Island Prison, where he has endured conditions of increasing isolation. For the past 33 months, Öcalan has had no contact with his family, legal representatives or anyone outside the prison.
The anniversary of Öcalan’s abduction has become a rallying point for widespread calls for his release. The Internationalist Long March has become a central part of these annual campaigns. This year, the eighth Long March will be an integral part of the intensified global effort entitled “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question”.
Participants and supporters are urged to join the march, attend meetings and engage in discussions to raise awareness of Öcalan’s plight and to campaign for his release. The march will take place from 10 to 17 February, with the following main events planned:
– 10 February: Gathering and launch in Basel, Switzerland.
– 15 February: Conference in Strasbourg.
– 17 February: Central Europe-wide demonstration in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The organisers invite those interested to contact them for more information and encourage everyone to read the full call for action.