Hunger strike launched in front of CPT for the freedom of Öcalan

Shengal Diaspora Assembly has launched an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike in front of the Committee for Prevention of Torture in Strasbourg, France for the fredom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Shengal Diaspora Assembly has launched an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike in front of the Committee for Prevention of Torture in Strasbourg, France for the fredom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

10 people including the Shengal Diaspora Assembly Co-chair Fikret İğrek have started the hunger strike. Hundreds of Kurds from Germany, Switzerland and different cities in France attended the press statement.

İĞREK: WE START OUR HUNGER STRIKE

Shengal Diaspora Assembly Co-chair Fikret İğrek gave a speech in the name of the hunger strikers. İğrek stated that they have started the hunger strike as per the decision taken in the assembly to draw attention to the isolation Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been under.

İğrek condemned once more the handing over of Öcalan to the Turkish state in an international conspiracy and emphasized that no word from the Kurdish People’s Leader have been received in over one year and that was unacceptable.

Stating that they have started such an action as a stance against thousands of years of oppression, slavery and the massacre in 2014, İğrek said they wanted to stand against the isolation imposed upon the Kurdish People’s Leader.

Fikret İğrek pointed out the importance of democratic autonomy in Shengal, recalling that thousands of people lost their lives in the ISIS massacre and many more were enslaved.

Another hunger striker emphasized that Öcalan’s freedom means the freedom of the Kurdish people.

KARTAL: WHAT IS LEADER ÖCALAN’S SITUATION?

KONGRA-GEL Co-chair Remzi Kartal spoke in the press conference and said some coup plotters attempted to intervene in İmralı after the July 15 coup attempt. Kartal said they demand concrete information on Öcalan’s situation and continued: “We want to know clearly, what is Leader Öcalan’s situation? Is he harmed or unharmed? We want to know.”

Kartal said wherever Kurdish people were, there were demonstrations for Öcalan’s freedom, and emphasized that the people will not give up on this demand. Kartal supported the hunger strikers and declared they would receive all the support they need.

ENCÜ: ALL INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST ACT URGENTLY

In his speech emphasizing the fact that Öcalan was recognized as the Kurdish people’s leader by all parties involved now, HDP MP Ferhat Encü underlined the importance of information on the current situation of him. Encü called for all international law and human rights institutions and repeated his demand for urgent action.

Encü said the Kurdish people were at the peak of concerns for Öcalan being in İmralı, and emphasized that they supported the hunger strikers.

WOMEN’S MOVEMENT REPRESENTATIVE: NOBODY SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR HOMES BEFORE ÖCALAN IS FREE

An Êzidî woman representative for the Kurdish Women’s Movement stated that they will stand against massacres as a movement. The representative saluted Shengal Êzidî Assembly’s decision for action and called for a joint voicing of demands as all faith groups and peoples.

The Women’s Movement member pointed out that Öcalan had been in prison for 17 years and the role international powers played in this, and asked for all to beat as one heart.

The representative stressed that to create the free woman, they needed unity and ensure Öcalan’s freedom and pointed out the connection to Shengal's freedom. The representative said, “Nobody should be comfortable in their homes before Öcalan is free,” and called for increasing the demand for freedom.

KOÇ: WE WILL BE IN THE STREETS UNTIL HE IS FREE

In his speech that mentioned Öcalan’s importance not just for the Kurdish people but for all peoples of the region, KCD-E official Yüksel Koç pointed out Öcalan’s role in different peoples of different faiths being able to live together as in the Rojava example.

Koç said the demands for Öcalan’s freedom will be voiced in all areas, the demonstrations will increase and that they will remain in the streets until his freedom is achieved.

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