The Freedom for Ocalan Vigil held in front of the Council of Europe (CoE) offices in Strasbourg, France continues on week 341 with a new group participating.

The vigil was held by a group from the Pforzheim town in Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg state last week, and another group of 4 from Ulm in the same state has taken over for this week. The group consists of Kurdistanis Ali Botan, Omer Taslitepe, Baran Dersim and Kamil Sirnakli.

MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING THE LEADER’S FREEDOM

The Ulm group took over the vigil in the week leading to 2019. They pointed out that the protest launched with the motto freedom for Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan has continued for over 6.5 years, and added that they hope Ocalan will be free in 2019, stressing that the struggle will continue.

In the statement they issued, the new group said: “In the new year, with renewed hope, we must fight to free our Leader.”

The statement also said the freedom vigil started after a 52-day hunger strike against the isolation imposed upon Ocalan in 2012, and pointed to the significance of the unlimited, nonalternating hunger strike that has continued since December 17.

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM THE PREPARATION COMMITTEE

The Freedom for Ocalan Vigil Preparation Committee issued a statement and thanked all those who participated in the vigil in the 6.5 years of the protest with the demand for freedom. Preparation Committee Member Zulfu Bingol stressed that the protest will continue until Ocalan is free and that the people will continue to embrace Ocalan.