Launched on 25 June 2012 in front of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the Freedom for Öcalan Vigil will continue until Öcalan is liberated.

The action has been going on for nearly 7.5 years, and continues with new groups of activists taking it over every week.

Last week, Kurdish humanitarian workers took over the Vigil while this week a group of activists from Berlin, have reached Strasbourg.
Mervan Aykal, Hasan Çatal and Davut Baş have taken over the Vigil since last Sunday and have sharply criticized the Council of Europe and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) for their silence about the isolation imposed on Öcalan.

The activists underlined that what has been done to Öcalan and the Kurdish people is persecution and said: "We Kurds want real justice. The institutions that can offer solutions in the matter remain silent when it comes to the Kurds and Öcalan."

In their statement the activists reiterated that the Kurdish people will resist the invasion attacks. It was emphasized that the international community should speak out against the invasion of Rojava where Öcalan's project of free and egalitarian life of the peoples was being implemented.