Brochure distribution in Aleppo demands physical freedom for Leader Abdullah Ocalan

As part of the campaign advocating for Abdullah Ocalan’s physical freedom, members of the Hilal Zirîn Movement have started distributing brochures to local residents in Aleppo. The distribution will continue for three days, extending the campaign initiated by the movement about a week ago in the Tabqa and Raqqa Cantons.

A statement was delivered in a main market street in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the presence of hundreds of movement members, along with representatives of women’s and civil society organizations, all holding pictures of Abdullah Ocalan. The statement was read by movement member Ronahi Hanan.

The statement highlighted that more than 26 years after the arrest of Abdullah Öcalan, the Turkish state has exceeded the legal period that justifies continued deprivation of his physical freedom. Referring to the "right to hope" principle established by the European Court of Human Rights, the statement noted that any prisoner who has served more than twenty years should be granted a genuine opportunity for review of their case, opening legal and humanitarian pathways out of isolation. Ignoring this clear right constitutes a “deliberate violation” of justice and a “blatant challenge” to international standards to which Turkey is committed.

The statement also emphasized that the ongoing physical isolation of Ocalan and the prohibition on his communication with the outside world cannot be legally or ethically justified, especially since his sentence period has elapsed. It argued that this situation undermines confidence in any peaceful process and perpetuates a punitive logic instead of one of resolution.

Moreover, the statement underscored that Abdullah Ocalan views women as a political, organizational, and cultural force, and as a cornerstone of any just social transformation that empowers women and peoples with tools of self-determination. Thus, the issue of his freedom is not merely legal but a feminist-political cause affecting the present of women and the future of justice and the peoples’ right to dignity and identity.

The statement stressed that the "right to hope" is inalienable, and that Abdullah Ocalan’s physical freedom is not an individual demand but a collective necessity for achieving peace, equality, and the right of every people to exercise their culture and freedom.

In conclusion, the Hilal Zirîn Movement called for the immediate release of Abdullah Ocalan not only because he has exceeded the legally permissible detention period but also because he represents a liberatory project that has restored the role of women in history.

Members of the movement began distributing brochures in the eastern part of Sheikh Maqsoud, featuring quotes and ideas from Abdullah Ocalan alongside key milestones from his struggle.

ANHA