The Freedom Vigil, launched on 25 June 2012 in Strasbourg, France, under the leadership of the Initiative for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, has entered its 670th week.

The action, carried out in rotating groups by members of the Kurdish community and their allies living in Europe to demand the physical freedom of Mr. Öcalan and the dismantling of the Imralı genocide system was taken over this week by a group from Vienna. The group includes Ahmet Zirek, co-chair of Civaka Azad, along with members of the Vienna Kurdish People's Assembly, Osman Ayaz, Mihemed Kobanê, and Mukri Vakar.

Co-chair Ahmet Zirek stated that the vigil would be carried out by Civaka Azad and the Vienna Kurdish People's Assembly, both based in Austria. He said: “Our aim is for our people to gather around Mr. Öcalan and struggle for his freedom. We want institutions such as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to fulfill their responsibilities. They speak of human rights, yet our leader has been living under severe isolation on Imralı Island for 26 years. That is why we are calling on them to carry out their duties.”

Zirek pointed out that Mr. Öcalan has recently initiated a new process and stated: “European states have clearly heard this call. They must fulfill their responsibilities in order to respond to Mr. Öcalan’s call.”

Zirek stated that Abdullah Öcalan’s Call for Peace and a Democratic Society is not only for the Kurdish people but also for peace and stability in the Middle East and Europe. He emphasized that the process brings responsibility for everyone and that its requirements must be fulfilled.

Zirek concluded by stressing that the vigil will continue until Mr. Öcalan attains his physical freedom and that the European Union (EU) must take this vigil seriously.