The European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E) has called for participation in demonstrations across Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, England and Belgium to end the injustice, torture and isolation on-going for more than 25 years against Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The ‘Freedom Vigil’ in Strasbourg, outside the Council of Europe (CoE), has been held continuously since 2012, an expression of the determined stance of the Kurdish people to halt the isolation imposed on their imprisoned leader. Various groups host the Strasbourg sit-in each week, and the latest call to action marks the vigil’s 12th anniversary.
In the statement, the KCDK-E harshly criticised the disciplinary sentences regularly imposed on Öcalan, preventing visits from his lawyers and family and the re-evalution of Öcalan’s case. The KCDK-E also emphasised Öcalan’s own resistance to being confined for 25 years on the prison island of İmralı, through his development of a new socialist paradigm and several associated publications from behind bars.
“Therefore, we must spread the great resistance of Leader Apo [Öcalan] to the whole world and expose the Turkish state that does not recognise law and morality”, the KCDK-E said, emphasising the international illegality of Öcalan’s isolation.
A call was made to continue the protest action, part of the ‘Freedom for Öcalan – a political solution to the Kurdish question’ campaign, that began in October, and most recently hosting the ‘Dialogue with Öcalan’ Days that took place across continents in over 50 locations.
“We must force the Council of Europe and especially the CPT [Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture] to take a stand against the isolation”, the KCDK-E stressed.
The KCDK-E concluded with a call to “mobilise our people, youth, women, elders, children and friends” for protests in European cities.
