Kongra Star: The decision of the CoM serves as an approval to torture

Kongra Star has released a written statement, criticizing the decision of the Committee of Ministers (CoM) “for monitoring” the implementation of the ECHR decision about Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan for a year.

News Center- Kongra Star has released a written statement on the decision taken by the Committee of Ministers (CoM), the Council of Europe's decision-making body, about the isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan at the meeting held on September 17. “The decision of the committee serves as an approval to the torture in Imrali,” the statement said.

The letter of Kongra Star is as follows:

“The historical resistance that leader Abdullah Öcalan has been waging in the prison of Imrali for 26 years is the strongest response to the political, military and cultural and genocidal policies that the world's sovereign regimes and their tools have been implementing in the region. The regime of Erdoğan has been committing a genocide against the Kurdish people and the people demanding freedom. Leader Abdullah Öcalan introduced the idea of ​​a democratic nation and a democratic confederation to the Middle East and sees women's freedom and women’s important role in building a political- ethnic society. An international campaign demanding ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question” was launched to highlight the importance of leader Abdullah Öcalan’s philosophy serving the whole of humanity and offering fundamental solutions to problems and conflicts. The policies of torture and isolation implemented against our leader by making baseless excuses are against human values and the human rights principles, showing the fascist mindset of the AKP-MHP dictatorship.

On September 17, 2024, the Committee of Ministers held a meeting to discuss the isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in the prison island of Imrali and the violation of his “right to hope”, announcing that the committee would issue an interim decision in September 2025 after monitoring the implementation of the ECHR decision for a year.

As Kongra Star, we call on the Council of Europe to review the decision of the Committee of Ministers and on the international community, the UN and law organizations to fulfil their responsibilities to end right violations against leader Abdullah Öcalan.

We also call on all socialists, democratic forces, women's organizations and movements to strengthen the common struggle by supporting the international campaign demanding freedom for leader Abdullah Öcalan.”