Activists of the Kurdish youth movement have demanded the release of Abdullah Öcalan with a civil disobedience action in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. There has been no sign of life from the Kurdish leader for two years.
Activists from the Kurdish youth movements TCŞ and TekoJIN demanded the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan in the European Parliament. The group shouted slogans in the audience area while holding up pictures of the PKK leader, who was abducted to Turkey 24 years ago today.
In a statement about their action, the young activists demanded immediate contact with Öcalan and drew attention to Europe's responsibility. The activists stated that the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) was not fulfilling its task due to political pressure, and the Council of Europe was allowing Turkey, a member state, to ignore the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.
Öcalan was abducted from the Greek embassy in Kenya on 15 February 1999 in the course of an international conspiracy involving several secret services and handed over to Turkey. For almost two years there has been no sign of life from the prison island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara, where Öcalan and his three fellow prisoners are being held.
"With this action, we as Kurdish youth demand that Europe abandon this dirty policy against Abdullah Öcalan. Until we hear from him and until his physical freedom is guaranteed, our actions will continue," the activists declared.
