Kurdish activists on a hunger strike in Stockholm, Sweden demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan met with Amnesty International officials Ami Hedenborg and Maja Aberg.

The 4 person committee representing the hunger strikers informed AI on the hunger strikes launched by Leyla Guven on November 7, 2018 that continue with over 7.000 prisoners participating, and the isolation imposed upon Ocalan.

The committee stressed that Ocalan is in a key position for the solution of the Kurdish issue and for peace in Turkey, and requested that the Amnesty administration take initiatives to end the isolation.

AMNESTY: WE WILL TAKE INITIATIVE

Maja Aberg said they will take the matter to Sweden’s Foreign Ministry authorities, Amnesty headquarters administration and their Turkey desk, as well as take initiative to include the hunger strikes in the publications of the organization.

Amnesty International Spokesperson Ami Hedeborg spoke to the ANF after the meeting and said the developments in Turkey are concerning and continue to worsen.

Hedeborg said thousands of people have lost their jobs and been imprisoned with baseless accusations and added: “Press freedom has completely been destroyed in Turkey. We follow developments with great concern.”

Hedeborg pointed out that even lawyers are affected by state attacks in Turkey and that there are dozens of lawyers in prisons on allegations of terrorism.

Hedeborg said hunger strikers spreading in Turkey’s prisons and in Europe is “a sign of the concern people feel as they feel obliged to go on hunger strikes to end the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan”.

Hunger strikers visit political parties and NGOs and put up banners and pass out flyers to inform the Swedish public about the hunger strikes.

HUNGER STRIKERS: WE ARE DETERMINED

The activists passed out flyers in 4 busy squares and metro stations in Stockholm on Friday.

The hunger strikers in the committee meeting with AI spoke to the ANF and said they are determined to fight until the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan is ended and called on the Kurdish people to support the hunger strikes.

Nadia Saleh from Southern Kurdistan said they see Abdullah Ocalan not as a person but as the leader of the Kurdish people and all oppressed peoples’ struggles for freedom, and that they believe Ocalan will bring peace and democracy.

Saleh stressed that all people should fight to end the isolation against Ocalan.

Lokman Furan said Europe knows Erdogan is a dictator but is acting deaf dumb and blind, not wanting to acknowledge the rights violations in Turkey.

Furan said they visit institutions and parties in Sweden to ask for awareness and continued: “The only solution to the issue lies with Leader Abdullah Ocalan. He is the only one who can stop the bloodshed.”

Mehmet Baziki said the isolation is imposed upon all the Kurdish people in the person of Ocalan.

Baziki said the isolation aims to take the whole of society hostage and added: “We do not accept this isolation. We will continue our resistance with comrades who will resist until the isolation is broken.”