Members of the Basel Democratic Kurdish Community Center (DKTM), took over the Freedom for Öcalan Vigil in Strasbourg on its 648th week.

The vigil was initiated by the Freedom for Öcalan Initiative on 25 June 2012, at the common meeting point of European institutions. The aim of the protest is to dismantle the Imrali torture and genocide system, end absolute isolation and communication restrictions, and achieve the physical freedom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Each week, the vigil is carried forward by Kurds and their supporters living in Europe. 

This week, a group from Basel, Switzerland, has taken over the vigil. The group includes Mehmet Ronahi, Mehmet Taş, and Mahsun Akkoyun, all members of the Basel Democratic Kurdish Community Center. 

Speaking on behalf of the group, Mehmet Taş said that the isolation imposed on Önder Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] is perceived as an attack on themselves and the Kurdish people. He added: "We are under oppression. Although the meeting with our leader after 43 months of silence gave us morale, it was not enough. Our freedom lies in the freedom of our leader. We want him to be among us. The claims by international institutions that they ‘represent human rights’ are false. If they were genuine, they would have listened to the demands of the Kurds who have been here for 13 years through rain and snow. They would have gone to Imrali and investigated the situation of our leader. They do not even uphold their own laws. Hundreds of people from the CPT and the European Parliament pass by us every day, seeing us but shamelessly ignoring us. They must abandon this disgraceful behavior."

Mehmet Taş emphasized that if the 45 million Kurds unite, they can achieve Öcalan’s physical freedom. He said: "The freedom of our leader cannot be ensured by the EU states or anyone else who handed him over to Turkey. We, the Kurdish people, must secure it ourselves."