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 began with a minute of silence paying tribute to the martyrs of the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle. The activists vowed to continue their struggle for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and Kurdistan on the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne that led to the quadripartition of Kurdistan and the launch of a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people.

Demir Çelik, president of the Democratic Alevi Federation (FEDA) stated that the Kurdish people rejected the Treaty of Lausanne because it divided Kurdistan, refused to recognise the Kurds even as a minority and ignored the communities and faiths in the region.

“Besides declaring this treaty, which was concluded in line with the interests of the imperialist and capitalist system, null and void, we also declared to the world public an alternative solution to this treaty following a two-day conference held in Lausanne on 22-23 July,” Çelik said.

Çelik noted that the declaration of the conference was based on the Democratic Confederal System presented by Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. “We have been subjected to any and all kinds of atrocities for the past hundred years. Attempts are being made to continue the policies of physical, cultural and political genocide at present. The Medya Defense Zones (guerrilla areas in northern Iraq) are attacked with chemical weapons every day. In the face of the daily bombing of Kurdistan, the United Nations, CPT (Committee for the Prevention of Torture) and the Council of Europe have chosen to be blind, deaf and dumb. In response to these powers which chose to sacrifice Kurdistan and the Kurdish people for their interests, we will continue our struggle.”

Çelik stated that a diplomacy committee would be formed by representatives of parties, movements and faith groups that advocate the rights of 60 million Kurds from four parts of Kurdistan.

“We will take an important step towards achieving a free Kurdistan. We will wage our struggle for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners as a part of this diplomatic mission,” he added.

Following the speech by Demir Çelik, activists called for participation in the march for Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom to be staged in Zurich on 29 July under the leadership of Kurdish youth movements TCŞ and TekoJIN.