Arab Initiative for Ocalan's freedom criticizes Europe Ministers Council's stance

The Arab Initiative for Ocalan's Freedom issued a statement, published by the Firat News Agency (ANF), regarding the recent decision of the the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on the system of torture and extermination imposed on the leader in Imrali Prison.

The text of the statement reads: "A statement to public opinion, the continuation of isolation on the thinker and revolutionary Abdullah Ocalan."

The thinker and revolutionary Abdullah Ocalan continues to endure a harsh isolation that has exceeded 42 months, amid suspicious silence and clear complicity from international institutions, the latest being the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers , whose recent stance was characterized by unjustified timidity and silence. This gives a green light to the Turkish authorities to continue their illegal and inhumane practices. This implicit collusion can only be interpreted as legitimizing the repressive practices imposed by the Turkish authorities on a man who has spent more than a quarter of a century in prison, not for any crime but because he carried in his heart and mind the aspirations and rights of his people and the peoples of the region for freedom, democracy, and justice.

Abdullah Ocalan is not merely a political prisoner; he is a symbol and icon of intellectual, political, and social resistance. He has deeply contributed to human thought through his exceptional vision for solving the persistent issues faced by social components and ethnicities in the Middle East and the world, as outlined in his philosophical encyclopedia, "The Manifesto of Democratic Civilization." This encyclopedia presents a unique interpretation and a radical vision for solving the complex problems facing the peoples of the region, proposing a model based on democracy, social justice, and coexistence.

Over the past year, voices from various political, legal, and intellectual spectra have risen within the global campaign "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan and a Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue" across different parts of the world, demanding the lifting of isolation, an end to the restrictions, and freedom for this thinker and leader who represents the issues of his people and the peoples of the region. However, these demands have not resonated sufficiently within the international decision-making circles, instead being met with indifference and disregard for suffering that has lasted for over 25 years, while unacceptable stances are taken, despite the fact that the international campaign has exerted significant pressure on the Turkish authorities and the international system aligned with Turkey. The campaign has also served as a gateway for introducing the ideas and philosophy of democratic nationhood.

In this statement, we affirm that international silence and the timid stance expressed by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers only reflect a failure and complicity with practices that violate basic human rights. We strongly urge the international community and global human rights institutions, including Arab, Islamic, regional, and international organizations, to act urgently to end this illegal situation, lift the isolation on Abdullah Ocalan, and guarantee his rights as a human being, thinker, and politician who carries within his ideas a better future for the peoples of the Middle East. We also state that while intellectuals, academics, and human rights activists have taken action in various cultural, legal, and popular arenas, we still have much work ahead to achieve the freedom of the leader and thinker Ocalan. His freedom is the key to resolving the Kurdish issue and initiating the right path toward stability and democratic transformation in the region.

Freedom for the thinker and revolutionary Abdullah Ocalan

Shame on the hypocritical West, which turns a blind eye to the slogans of the Renaissance: freedom and human rights.

Remaining silent in the face of these violations has become a crime against all the human values for which humanity has struggled. History will not forgive those who chose to stand with oppression and injustice at the expense of freedom, justice, and the rights of the peoples of the region."

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers held a session on September 20 regarding the decision to violate the European Court of Human Rights ruling on leader Abdullah Ocalan. They only issued a warning and procrastinated in taking a serious stance, stating, "If no steps are taken, an exceptional decision will be prepared in September 2025."

In response, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) expressed its dissatisfaction with the decision, noting that it legitimizes the crimes committed by the Turkish authorities.

A-H

ANHA