Ferzende Munzur, from the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative, said that the end of the policy of annihilation and genocide passed through the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, and added that the struggle should be increased.
Ferzende Munzur, a member of the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative, said that they are continuing the diplomatic and legal struggle to end the aggravated isolation imposed on Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan. He said that isolation is part of the Turkish state's policy of isolating the Kurds, and added: "The Turkish state is trying to achieve results by preventing Leader Öcalan's voice from reaching the people. For this, it puts international and even its own law aside.”
CPT doesn’t fulfil its duty
Talking about the CPT's visit to the prisons in Turkey on September 20-29, Munzur said: “The CPT is an institution affiliated to the Council of Europe. It is an institution that has a role and mission in improving the conditions of the prisons it visits. But, unfortunately, the CPT is not fulfilling this task. It should follow the violations in prisons regardless of the state. It should apply pressure and prevent violations. Instead, it doesn't even feel the need to explain what it saw in Imrali."
Not enough pressure
Munzur noted that the physical freedom of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan was not ensured through the struggle in 2022, and the isolation was not broken, and added: "If the isolation has not been broken, if his physical freedom has not been realized, we must take a position of self-criticism."
We need to work more
Munzur said that this year the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative needs to be expanded beyond Syria and added: “There are many initiatives, human rights institutions and organizations in the Middle East and the world. Reaching them, acting together and increasing the struggle will be more fruitful and effective. We will further activate our diplomatic efforts. Not only that, but legal initiatives will continue, and the weaknesses experienced in the last year will be fixed in 2023. Applications to the CPT, EU and UN will continue. We will have workshops in the Middle East and the world, and preparations will begin in a short time. This year, priority will be given to achieving new gains. And this depends on ending the policy of destruction and genocide, isolation and, of course, ensuring the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan.”
