The Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Vigil was launched on 25 June 2012, to eliminate the Imrali torture system and ensure the physical freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The vigil has entered its 629th week, and is organized by groups of Kurds living in Europe every week, at the common point where European institutions meet in Strasbourg. The vigil is on 7 days a week between 7.30 and 16.30.

Activists exposed the crimes against humanity committed against the Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan as well as the complicity and silence of the European institutions in these crimes.

The vigil this week was taken over by the Oltan family from Darmstad. The group that took over the vigil on behalf of the Democratic Kurdish Community Center included Mürşide Oltan, her husband Selim Oltan and their eight-year-old daughter Sara.

Mürşide Oltan said: "Even if the Leader is not with us physically, he is always with us." She added that Öcalan showed the way to freedom, especially to Kurdish women.

Oltan added: “We do not accept the aggravated isolation imposed on our Leader. This isolation is aimed at all of us, especially women and young people. We see that this isolation is also fed by betrayal today. The occupying fascist Turkish state has been trying to eliminate the will of the Kurdish people with dirty methods for 3 years. The will of the Kurdish people is our Leader and the guerrilla." She called on all Kurdish people, especially women, young people and the people of South Kurdistan, to stand up against occupation and betrayal.

Mürşide Oltan added: “Kurdistan Freedom Guerillas are the children of all four parts of Kurdistan. Wherever there is an attack, the guerrillas are there. When there is an attack on Rojava, the guerrillas run; when there is an attack on South Kurdistan, the guerrillas fight back. I call on all Kurdish people to stand by our leader, our guerrillas, our friends in prison."