Action against isolation in Cannes

The daughter of Kerem Solhan one of the 14 activists on hunger strike in Strasbourg joined the action at Cannes, where the 72nd edition of the Film Festival is underway.

Kübra Solhan is the daughter of Kerem Solhan. Her father is on hunger strike demanding the end of isolation against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Like Kübra Solhan’s father in Strasbourg, thousands of prisoners are fasting with the same demand, and dozens of activists in Kurdistan and around the world. The hunger strike resistance is led by HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven. Thirty prisoners have turned their hunger strike into death fast. 

The thousands of festival goers were handed out information leaflets telling then the reasons of the hunger strike. Kurdish youth had opened an information stand next to the venue of the Festival. 

Kübra Solhan: We want to be the voice of the hunger strikers

“My father has been on hunger strike in Strasbourg for 155 days,- said Solhan. - We are here at Cannes Film Festival to be their voice. We want isolation against Öcalan to be removed. Europe should listen to the voice of the hunger strikers.”

Speaking on behalf of Draguignan Youth Assembly, Nehir Balıkçı said that the action at Cannes is to draw attention to the hunger strike resistance. 

"We are doing this action - said the activist - to make people here aware of what is going on in Turkey. With this leaflet we also want people here to know about Abdullah Öcalan and the isolation regime imposed on him by the Turkish state.”