The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil has been held in Strasbourg since 25 June 2012, with the aim of ensuring the physical freedom of the Kurdish People's Leader and eliminating the Imrali system.

The action is on its 619th week and has been taken over by a group of Kurdish activists from Duisburg.

The group includes Mesut Avras, Abdullah Tolayman, Murat Erzem, Edip Elitaş.

'We will continue our struggle to free the leader’

Group spokesperson Mesut Avras said: “We know that the Council of Europe has a role in keeping Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] in captivity in Imrali for 25 years. We're here to protest this. Europe is supposedly the center of democracy and human rights, but unfortunately, this democracy and human rights are not valid when it comes to Kurds and the Kurdish Movement. We have been showing our stance against this at the door of the European Council continuously for 12 years. We condemn the Council of Europe's attitude towards the Kurdish People's Leader and the politics of the Kurdish people. We will support the Kurdish People's Leader with our action and struggle until we get results."

'Let's increase the struggle for a free future with our leadership'

Calling on the Kurdish people to increase the struggle for a free future, Avras said: "The Kurdish people are going through an important process. There has been no news from Imralı for more than 3 years. We condemn this and ask our people to support the process. Let them step up the fight against the International Conspiracy and the Imrali isolation. Let's strengthen our actions to break the isolation, to welcome a free future and a free Kurdistan with our Leader, on the basis of the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Solution to the Kurdish Question campaign that has been carried out for months."

Once again condemning the attitude of the Council of Europe against Imrali and the International Conspiracy, Avras emphasized that "the rightful struggle of the Kurdish people will win."