Activists demanding freedom for Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan are continuing their action in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva. The action is held every Wednesday since 25 January 2021.

During the sit-in organized as part of the 'Dem Dema Azadiye' initiative, activists asked for the release of Kurdish politician Kenan Ayaz, who was arrested in Southern Cyprus upon Germany's extradition request.

The sit-in started with a minute of silence in memory of the Kurdistan Freedom Martyrs. The co-chair of the Geneva Democratic Kurdish Community Center, Tuba Yılmaz, said that there has been no news about Abdullah Öcalan for over 25 months, and added: “The isolation of our Leader has turned into torture. We will continue to be in the field until the isolation is ended and our leader freed."

The other co-chair, Mehmet Latif Çelebi, said that the whole world remained silent against the isolation imposed upon Abdullah Öcalan. Çelebi continued: “The Imrali reports published by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) revealed the ongoing torture in isolation. Despite the reports, both the CPT, the Council of Europe and the UN continue to play the three monkeys by ignoring them.”

'Let's go to the ballot box against the fascist block'

Pointing out the importance of the struggle against the isolation that has spread to all living areas of the Kurds, Çelebi condemned the detention of politicians, lawyers and artists, and Kurdish journalists, in the last week. "The AKP-MHP has intensified its attacks because it knows that it will lose the elections. All our people should go to the polls and vote for the Green Left Party.

Call for the release of Kenan Ayaz and for action tomorrow

Calling for the release of Kurdish politician Kenan Ayaz, who was arrested by Cyprus on 15 March and extradited to Germany in line with the relations of interest with the Turkish state, Çelebi said that an action will be held in front of the Southern Cyprus consulate in Geneva, tomorrow, 5 May.