The Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative, launched the Freedom for Ocalan Vigil in Strasbourg, on 25 June 2012, to call for the physical freedom of the Kurdish People’s Leader and an end to isolation.

Four activists from the Bielefeld region took over the vigil in its 622nd week.

Murat Cigal, Süleyman Dündar, Zeyde Şahin and Şehmus Ayyıldız took over the vigil. Group spokesman Murat Cigal said: "This action continues in order to break the absolute isolation imposed on our Leader."

Murat Cigal added: "This is a long-term and uninterrupted action. We will continue this action until we ensure the physical freedom of our leader."

Cigal said that a racist-fascist attack targeted the vigil recently, when the activists were not present, and added that the attack was carried out by "Turkish mobs". The activist said: "They should know that their attacks can never intimidate us. We will actually grow stronger against these attacks."

Support visit to protesters

After the attack, many activists and friends of the Kurdish people have been visiting the Freedom Vigil to express their solidarity and support. On Tuesday, a group protesting for Turkish revolutionary Ecevit Piroğlu, who has been held captive in Serbia since 2021 with the decision to extradite him to Turkey, visited the activists carrying out the vigil and said that they will fight shoulder to shoulder.