A new group has taken over the Freedom for Öcalan Vigil held in front of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, France in the 329th week of the demonstration.

Five people from the French city of Rennes have taken over the vigil this week.

Amid an intense traffic on occasion of the opening of the Council of Europe this year, around 500 leaflets have been distributed alone during the first two days of this week’s program.

“SYSTEMATIC TORTURE OF OUR LEADER UNACCEPTABLE”

During meetings with parliamentarians member of the Council of Europe, activists told about the isolation imposed on Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan for 20 years, which has been aggravated further during the past two years. Activists called on the CoE members to not ignore this systematic torture which they said is unacceptable.

Criticizing the atrocities targeting Öcalan and the Kurdish people, activists called for solidarity with the Kurdish people for the sake of democratic values.

The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil started on June 25, 2012 to call for an end to the aggravated isolation imposed upon Öcalan and to raise awareness for his freedom. Before the vigil, a Long March was held from Geneva to Strasbourg in February 2012 and a hunger strike of 52 days was held during the months of March and April. Representatives from various institutions in Europe and politicians had participated in the hunger strike.

The Vigil was launched after these demonstrations, and in the six years since, hundreds of thousands of flyers, brochures and booklets have been handed out and Öcalan’s ideas have been communicated to people from dozens of countries throughout the world.

Some two thousand activists have taken over the vigil in 314 groups. Artists, politicians, journalists and European allies have taken part in person.