The Vigil for Öcalan, a daily demonstration initiated on 25 June 2012, continues its relentless pursuit for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Held outside the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, the vigil represents a call for justice and human rights.
According to the Vigil for Öcalan initiative, Öcalan’s influence extends beyond his prison cell, inspiring ideas of grassroots democracy, women’s freedom, and peaceful coexistence, with millions of Kurds across the world regarding Öcalan as “their political leader as they struggle against cultural suppression and physical oppression.”
The Vigil serves as a demand for international action against Öcalan’s isolation, and a call for his release. It stands as a reminder of a member state’s opposition to the values of the CoE. “The vigil is a permanent reminder of how a CoE member state [Turkey] is acting in opposition to all that the organisation stands for”, states the Vigil’s website.
The Vigil’s website also delves into Öcalan’s philosophy, which was developed along with the PKK and embraces a vision of society run by local communities. “When the Kurds in northern Syria were able to establish autonomous local control, they began to put Öcalan’s ideas into action,” the website explains.
The Vigil for Öcalan’s latest event was the emergency press briefing in Brussels on 26 July where representatives from European civil society gathered to demand that the EU and other European institutions abide by their principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The gathering came after 28 months with no contact with Öcalan and in the wake of claims about threats of poisoning.
The speakers at the event included Simon Dubbins, co-convenor of the Trade Union Freedom for Öcalan campaign in the UK, who demanded to know what is happening to Öcalan, and Antonio Amoroso, representing the Confederazione Unitaria di Base, who spoke about how his union applies Öcalan’s principles of democratic confederalismto their organisation.
Michela Arricale, an Italian human rights lawyer, highlighted the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) ignoring a vital paragraph in their own rules regarding Öcalan’s prison visit. Amedeo Ciaccheri, president of the Municipality of Rome VIII, continued the tradition of support for Öcalan shown by the Italian people.
The event also received messages of support from various Italian cities where Öcalan has been made an honorary citizen. Laura de Bonfils, from the Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana (ARCI), expressed support for Öcalan’s human rights, and Txente Rekondo spoke on behalf of the Basque trade union, LAB, stressing the importance of a strong leader in a peace process.
Mike Arnott, President of the Scottish Trade Union Congress, brought solidarity from the Scottish trade union movement, and Roza Saleh, a councillor in Glasgow City Council, spoke of Scotland’s history of international solidarity.
Before a final word from Hakim Abdul Karim from Başur (the Kurdistan Region of Iraq), former MEP Jürgen Klute reminded the European Union of the need to increase pressure on the Turkish government to stop their war against the Kurds and to release Abdullah Öcalan.
Sarah Glynn, chairing the event on behalf of the Permanent Vigil for Öcalan, observed that politicians are bombarded with different issues, but what had been discussed was a simple concrete campaign that could make a big difference.
The whole press conference can be viewed here.
