STRASBOURG, FRANCE- On Monday, September 15th the KCDK-E and Campaign “Freedom for Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question” is calling for a demonstration in front of the Council of Euope to demand the freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, and the implementation of the “Right to Hope.”
On the 15th of September, Öcalan’s case will be discussed in a meeting of the Committee of Ministers—in particular with regards to the implementation of the 2014 decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In this case, the ECtHR ruled that the conditions of his imprisonment violated the prohibition of torture, arguing that the “Right to Hope”, or the right to have his case revisited and the possibility of release, had to be respected.
It has been more than eleven years since the last ECtHR ruling on Öcalan’s case. For seven years after this decision, nothing happened. Finally, in 2021, the Committee of Ministers wrote to Turkey to ask what they were going to do. The Turkish government said they would do nothing, but for four more years, the Committee did not use its powers to insure Turkey implemented the decision of the ECtHR. The demonstration will demand that the Council of Europe implements its decision on Turkey, and the ’Right to Hope’ for Abdullah Öcalan.
This is a vital test for the Council’s credibility, and it is also an important moment for Turkey’s future. Turkey is at a crossroads—will they choose the path of peace with the Kurds or not? A strong decision by the Committee could also send a strong message for peace.
The demonstration on Monday will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and speakers will include Öcalan’s lawyers, Representatives of the KCDK-E and other Kurdish organisations, and elected officials from various European countries. There will also be music and food.
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