​​​​​​​Upcoming visit by coordinator of "Noon Initiative for Ocalan's Freedom" to Council of Europe and CPT

 The leader Abdullah Ocalan has been struggling in strict isolation in the heavily guarded Imrali prison in Lake Marmara, Turkey, for 24 years, and despite global and local appeals to reveal his health, the fascist Turkish state continues its violations and prevents the leader's lawyers and family from meeting him.

 Regarding the arbitrary policies of the fascist Turkish state against the leader Ocalan and the duplicity of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture in dealing with his case, our agency conducted an interview with the coordinator and spokeswoman for the "Noon Initiative for Ocalan's Freedom", Sawsan Shoman, who asked in her dialogue about "how can an international humanitarian committee (committee  European Anti-Torture) to prepare an objective report on the situation of the leader Ocalan, while the Human Rights Office of Al-Asr stated that the leader did not attend the meeting.

 The text of the dialogue is as follows:

 * After international and local appeals to reveal the status of leader Ocalan, a delegation from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visited the prisons of the Turkish occupation state between September 20-29, including Imrali prison;  to investigate the terms and conditions of these prisons, and she said that she will prepare her report on the visit in March 2023, and on November 29, the Al-Asr office stated that the leader did not attend the meeting. How would you describe this situation?.

The international conspiracy is not new in the politics of the current world, where major powers pursue a policy of double standards. Perhaps the recent position of the Committee against Torture prompts us to draw many question marks about the credibility and transparency of the report that will be published as scheduled in March. So, how can an international humanitarian commission  submits an objective report on the situation of Abdullah Ocalan, as it stated that he refused to meet it, contrary to what it mentioned that it visited the prison and met the leader Ocalan and his comrades. Therefore, this failure to perform the legal and humanitarian duty prompts us to the next question;  What are the violations recorded by this committee?  Are there practical measures by this committee as a guardian of human rights to stop these flagrant violations?  The answers to these questions are clear, and perhaps these clear answers prompted Ocalan to refuse to meet with this committee.  Because this is a clear recognition that this international community has no legitimacy, which does not have the decision to compel the violating countries, nor even a decision to condemn, the discontinuation of the meeting was a position rejecting this international conspiracy that did not move a finger, even in terms of statements.

 * Despite carrying out various activities and issuing statements, the concerned authorities did not provide a single clear statement to reveal the event. What is the reason for this secrecy by these bodies, especially the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture?  Why does it not carry out its duties regarding the issue of leader Ocalan?

 As we have already mentioned, inaction is clear and unambiguous, and secrecy is no less dangerous than participation in violations. This would lose public confidence in these committees, which are supposed to be in the front line of defense for human rights. Therefore, we have the right here to direct the question to  the Committee Against Torture does not fulfill the objective for which it was established, then what is the benefit of such committees?  How credible is it and how does it relate to the interests of the major countries that move the ink of their pens?

 * What did the "Noon Initiative for Ocalan's Freedom" do, and what did you do to bring the issue of leader Ocalan to international forums?  And where did your efforts reach?

 We, as a feminist initiative founded in Beirut, are moving towards practical and legal steps for this purpose. We will have a joint visit with other Arab initiatives to support Ocalan's freedom to the European Council during its sessions in January to discuss his situation and the most prominent legal violations. We will have a visit to the Committee Against Torture to demand  by revealing the fate of leader Ocalan, and presenting a transparent statement about what is going on in Imrali prison, therefore, we will open this year with these two steps, perhaps the first steps in our righteous struggle path, and it will not be the last, as we will seek to communicate this cry to all decision-making centers and international forums as a paper that sheds light on no  legitimacy of this arrest.

* Have you communicated with feminist political, human rights and intellectual figures in the world for this issue, what were their aspirations and opinions?  What is required to ensure the physical freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan?

 Yes, the initiative expanded to include women from all countries of the Middle East and North Africa.  Active women, activists in the political and human rights field from Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Libya, Morocco, Yemen and others, believed in this cause, and in this thought they gathered under the name of Noon.  We felt the appreciation of all women from all over the Arab world for this thought, which they considered a sincere thought for the entire Middle East region, and an international thought that does not only concern the Kurds, but every free person who believes in freedom and human dignity.

 * As Noon's initiative for the freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan, and as we enter the new year, what are your future plans to pursue the case of leader Ocalan?

 The Noon initiative, since its inception, has been striving, in addition to raising the voice loudly, for the release of the leader Abdullah Ocalan. It is working to spread this ideology and communicate it to global public opinion, through awareness sessions, which are internal training sessions for members about the ideology of  the leader and his philosophy, especially with regard to women, in addition to periodic meetings during which the work is evaluated, in addition to seminars, especially in memory of the conspiracy.  As we mentioned earlier, a visit to the European Council is among the plans for this year.  We also seek to hold a conference that includes female personalities from all Middle Eastern countries and North Africa, where it will focus on this thought and its goal will be to demand the physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan, in addition to what we do in terms of issuing statements on all occasions, and activating and publishing the ideas of leader Ocalan on the pages of the websites  Social Media.

 It is noteworthy that the "Noon Initiative for Ocalan's Freedom" is a feminist initiative whose nucleus is a group of feminist and human rights activists from various countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Its establishment was announced on June 4, 2022, and it looks forward to introducing the thought of leader Ocalan and spreading it on a large scale. It also looks forward to  We also need to work to put pressure on relevant international organizations, institutions and parties, both human rights and political, to break their silence on the issue of leader Ocalan.

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