Invitation to the Press Conference in Strasbourg

To mark the 4th Anniversary of the Permanent VIGIL for the freedom of Abdullah OCALAN and other political prisoners

 Date: 23th June 2016

Time: 13.00

Place: In front of the Council of Europe

 At the press conference will speak:

  1. KRANBICHLER Florian – MP of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe SI-SEL Bolzano-Italy
  2. HEUSCHMANN Maya, Amnesty International, Swiss, Turkey-Desk
  3. FLUCKIGER Martin, Party BASTA General Secretary, Swiss
  1. VENTURINI Federico, School of Geography, University of Leeds; advisory board member of Transnational Institute for Social Ecology, UK, Member of Imrali Delegation
  2. SWEENEY Steve, Branch Secretary, Unite National Publishing and Media Branch (Trade Union-UNITE), UK, On behalf of “ Free Abdullah Ocalan“ campaign
  3. KARTAL Remzi, Co-President of KONGRA-GEL
  4. KAV Fuad, Freedoom for Ocalan Committee

 

 

Four years ago (25 June 2012), Kurdish activists and friends of the Kurdish people from across Europe began a Permanent Vigil in front of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, calling for the freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah OCALAN and other political prisoners in Turkey. The Kurds and their supporters have decided to continue this Permanent Vigil until Mr Abdullah OCALAN is released.

 

Campaigns for the freedom of Ocalan and peace in Kurdistan

During these three years, we have carried out a series of mass demonstrations and signature petitions for his release.

 

  • Earlier this year an international delegation (Imrali Peace Delegation) took the initiative to visit Turkey and the EU institutions to highlight the important role of Mr Ocalan for political negotiations and peace.

 

  • The last petition ended on the 13th February 2015 and we collected 10, 363, 000 signatures globally. The campaign was one of the biggest in the history of activism for the release of political prisoners.

 

  • Mr. Abdullah OCALAN has made a number of efforts to start a negotiation process with the Turkish state for a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question, despite the obstructive politics being played by the AKP administration in Turkey.