A permanent ‘freedom vigil’ has taken place in Strasbourg since 25 June, 2012, launched by the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan initiative. On the 12th anniversary of the vigil, speakers of the global campaign ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan – a political solution to the Kurdish question’ made a statement in front of the Council of Europe.
Representatives of parties and civil society organisations from different European countries attended the press conference and, among other demands, highlighted the need for the immediate lift of the isolation policy imposed on of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in Turkey’s İmralı island prison.
The list of demands also included that Abdullah Öcalan be granted regular meetings with his lawyers and family, highlighting that “for a resolution of the Kurdish question and peace in the Middle East, dialogue with Abdullah Öcalan must be developed.”
Sarah Glynn, a writer and activist from Scotland, presented a statement on behalf of the vigil, emphasising that more than three years have passed since Abdullah Öcalan has had any contact with the outside world, and no information has been made public after the last prison inspection by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) in September 2022.
An appeal was made to the CPT to “immediately go to İmralı and share its report with the public and mobilise the necessary mechanisms in the Council of Europe to implement its demands”.
Calls were also made directly to the Council of Europe (CoE) for a delegation to İmralı. “The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) should be removed from the list of terrorist organisations and the criminalisation policies against Kurds should be ended,” the campaigners added. Abdullah Öcalan’s right to hope must be also be implemented, Glynn stressed.
Serious concerns about Öcalan’s health were expressed by Remi Pagani, former Mayor of Geneva, who added, “The treatment of Abdullah Öcalan is scandalous. It is a violation of all international conventions. This is unacceptable.”
Rudolf Bürgel from the German Left Party (Die LINKE) described Öcalan as “a light of hope in the Middle East” and urged his immediate release.
