Seventeen young Kurdish activists have been sentenced to prison accused of vandalising the Council of Europe building when protesting the CPT for the silence about isolation of the Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

A hearing in Strasbourg heard that 17 young Kurdish activists have been charged with vandalising and using violence against police during a demonstration organised to protest the isolation against Öcalan. The highest penalties were given to three of the young people. One of them was considered the organizer of the action, while the other two were accused of demolition and violence against the police.

The trial lasted about nine hours. Three people were sentenced to one year of imprisonment, while others were given sentences of one to six months.

All were released. The young people would probably have to face penalties in Germany. All of them in fact are German citizens, except one who is a French citizen. Those from Germany were also banned from entering France for two years.

In addition the young people were charged with paying half of the damages to the Council of Europe, which the Council claimed amounted to 296 thousand euros.

The prosecutor's office had asked for a prison sentence of from 12 to 18 months.

The events at the core of the trial occurred on 25 February. Tens of Kurdish youth promoted a civil disobedience action in the Council of Europe building, including the CPT, to protest the isolation against Öcalan.