In the ongoing demonstration for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan in Geneva, activists called on international organisations to fulfil their responsibilities for the freedom of the Kurdish leader and condemned the usurpation of Hakkari Municipality.
A vigil by the Democratic Kurdish Community in Switzerland has been taking place in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva since 25 January 2021. Every Wednesday, activists stage a protest in front of the United Nations building to demand the release of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. The action is carried out as part of the 'Dem dema azadiye' [Time for Freedom] campaign and directed against the isolation of the Kurdish leader on the Turkish prison island of Imrali, the Turkish occupation attacks on Kurdistan, the massacres committed in Kurdish territories and the silence of the UN.
The vigil demonstration, which is held at a tent set up in Nation Square where the UN Office is located, was moved to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) this week.
After a minute of silence in memory of the Kurdistan Freedom Martyrs, a statement was made to the press.
Speaking on behalf of the action committee, Ramazan Kızılkurt stated that the Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been kept incommunicado for 39 months and emphasised that the Kurdish people will never accept this. Kızılkurt stated that they could no longer tolerate the policies of denial, extermination, genocide and surrender imposed on the Kurdish people and added: ‘We once again renew our call upon international institutions, especially the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Council of Europe (CoE), the UN and OHCHR, to fulfil their responsibilities.”
After Kızılkurt, Hasan İnci read the press statement on behalf of the Geneva Democratic Kurdish Community Centre (CDK-Ge).
İnci said, “Because Abdullah Öcalan presented the free life model to the peoples as an alternative to capitalist modernity, isolation policies were put into effect by the imperialist powers. His paradigm of freedom was embraced by the peoples of the world. For this reason, multi-faceted attacks are being developed against the Kurdish people and Kurdistan. Finally, on the morning of 3 June, Hakkari Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış was arrested, and a trustee was appointed to the municipality. With the trustee coup, the will of the Kurdish people was once again targeted. Against these policies that have been tried again and again, the Kurdish people have put up unique resistance, as in Van. Today, they will continue to protect their will in Hakkari with the spirit of resistance in Van.”
After the statement, a sit-in protest was staged to the accompaniment of slogans.
