A vigil by the Democratic Kurdish Community in Switzerland has been taking place in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva since 25 January 2021. Every Wednesday, activists stage a protest in front of the United Nations building to demand the release of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. The action is carried out as part of the 'Dem dema azadiye' [Time for Freedom] campaign and directed against the isolation of the Kurdish leader on the Turkish prison island of Imrali, the Turkish occupation attacks on Kurdistan, the massacres committed in Kurdish territories and the silence of the UN.

Today’s vigil protested against the mass arrests of Kurdish opposition activists in Turkey where at least 126 politicians, lawyers, activists, journalists and artists were taken into custody on Tuesday in the scope of an investigation launched by Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges against the detained people are still unknown due to a confidentiality order covering the investigation, and a 24-hour restriction on access to lawyers, which has been lifted only today. The detainees have begun to give their statements in various police stations today.

Mehmet Latif Çelebi, the co-chair of the Kurdish Community Centre in Geneva, warned of further attacks during today’s rally in front of the UN headquarters. "The arrest operations against Kurdish lawyers, journalists, artists, theatre performers and political officials are based on the fear of an election defeat. These attacks are the last twitches of the AKP/MHP bloc. Because this fascist bloc has realised that it will go, it will expand and continue the attacks. We are prepared for this and will respond with resistance."

The Erdogan government is weakened and is therefore increasingly attacking the Kurdish movement, Çelebi said, calling for enhanced resistance and participation in Turkey's 14 May parliamentary and presidential elections.