The vigil in Strasbourg is a protest against the total isolation of Öcalan, which has been practised for two years as illegal "incommunicado" detention. There has been no sign of life from Abdullah Öcalan and his fellow prisoners for more than two years.
The Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Vigil, which was launched in Strasbourg, France, on June 25, 2012, to demand the physical freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and an end to his isolation, has entered its 574th week. The action has been taking place in close proximity to the building of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe. Activists from all over Europe take turns at the vigil every week.
In its new week, the vigil was taken over by a delegation of activists from the French town of Creil. The group includes Mahmut Çelebi, Şafi Çelebi and Gani Işık.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Çelebi stated: "For a long time we have not heard anything from the leader. The Turkish state's actions are contrary to humanity. We condemn this as well as the attitude of the international organisations, first of all the CPT, which trample on their own principles and laws. It is regrettable that the states represented in them do not allay the concerns of the Kurdish people regarding the situation of Öcalan. They should also stop the inhumane attacks of the Turkish state on Rojava. The only way out for us is struggle and unity. I call on the Kurdish people to fight."
