A demonstration took place in London, UK, to protest the silence of Amnesty International regarding the isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, Firat News Agency (ANF) reported on Wednesday.
The event was organised by the London Kurdish People’s Assembly and the Jiyan Women’s Assembly outside the Amnesty International building. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Free Öcalan”, “Yesterday Mandela, today Öcalan”, “Long live Kurdistan, long live Öcalan”, and “Down with Turkish Republic fascism”.
The Freedom for Öcalan Worldwide Campaign shared ANF’s story on X, highlighting the crowd carrying flags bearing Öcalan’s image and banners condemning his isolation.
Speaking at the event, Berfin Dersim drew attention to Abdullah Öcalan’s 38-months of complete incommunicado detention, including the new, six-month ban on visits recently imposed. In total, Öcalan has spent over 25 years in isolation.
Criticising the silence of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), Dersim argued that their inaction on the prolonged isolation, which breaches international humanitarian law, makes them complicit in Turkey’s policies of isolation and ill-treatment. She called on Amnesty International to take action, to urge the CPT and the Turkish state to address these issues.
Dersim concluded by stressing the importance of ending the isolation of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Öcalan and reviving peace talks between the Turkish state and Kurdish forces for regional stability.
Following the speech, the group continued their protest outside the Amnesty International building.
In March 2024, the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group, established in South Africa, initiated a campaign directed at Amnesty International, focusing on the plight of Öcalan.
Global efforts to draw attention to Öcalan’s isolation are ongoing. The ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue’ campaign has been underway since 10 October 2023.
The campaign is planning what it calls ‘Dialogue Days’ from 15 to 22 June 2024, aiming to end the Kurdish leader’s isolated detention, and promote his ideas on democracy and human rights across Kurdish regions and beyond.
