Concerned about the health and security situation of Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe is calling for a protest in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
The Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (TJK-E) is inviting people to a protest in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The background is the growing concern about the health and security situation of Abdullah Öcalan. The Kurdish leader is isolated from the outside world on the Turkish prison island of Imrali. Calls upon the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to ensure contact with him and his fellow prisoners go unheard. The CPT did not even comment on a visit to Imrali a few months ago.
In a statement on Monday, the TJK-E said the following:
"Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdish people, is being subjected to aggravated incommunicado detention. This situation is aggravated by arbitrary measures such as the prevention of contact with legal persons and relatives. It is common knowledge in our society that this illegal action is an integral part of the aim to bring Öcalan to his knees, to isolate him and to subject him to unconditional surrender in order to finally crush the Kurdish liberation struggle. The AKP and its fascist coalition partner MHP hope to find a way out of their domestic and foreign policy impasse by declaring war on the Kurdish people once again.
At a time when the fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Turkish constitution are being violated and the genocidal war policy of the Turkish state against the Kurdish people continues to intensify, the statement of the Asrin Legal Office that the CPT probably had no personal contact with Öcalan during its last visit to Turkey in September leads to an increase in the concerns of our society. Moreover, it results in a justified questioning of the CPT's mission and vision. It is unacceptable that an institution which is supposed to prevent torture and inhuman treatment and strive to eradicate this situation should remain silent in the face of what is happening on Imrali.
It is our responsibility to history to remind the CPT, the Council of Europe and all other institutions of the international community of their duties. In this sense, we call for participation in our march on 14 December. Our appeal is addressed to the whole Kurdish society and its friends, but first and foremost to Kurdish women. Stand by our march and strengthen the resistance."
The protest event will start at 1pm at the Place du Luxembourg.
