Bethnahrin National Council delegation joins Strasbourg demonstration for freedom for Öcalan

STRASBOURG — Every year in mid-February, the Kurdish community organizes demonstrations to spotlight the ongoing isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on Imrali Island for 26 years. Tens of thousands gathered in Strasbourg, France, under the banner “Freedom for Öcalan and a Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue.” Among the demonstrators were members and supporters of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB).

The Strasbourg demonstration is part of a broader international campaign advocating for Öcalan’s freedom. Arrested in February 1999 in Kenya and handed over to Turkish authorities, Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement at Imrali Prison. Each year, Kurds around the world organize mass protests to oppose his imprisonment and demand a resolution to the Kurdish issue.

Speakers at the Strasbourg rally, including representatives of Kurdish and European political parties and organizations, reiterated calls for Öcalan’s release. They emphasized that despite his isolation, the Kurdish struggle for freedom and autonomy endures.

MUB’s Solidarity with Kurdish Demands

Members of MUB joined the Strasbourg protest, underscoring their solidarity with the Kurdish cause and the shared fight for democracy and stability in the Middle East. Shlemon Rahawi, a member of the Council’s leadership, addressed the crowd, delivering a statement to mark the 26th anniversary of Öcalan’s arrest.

In their statement, the MUB called for unity among the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East to combat authoritarianism and oppression. They urged the international community, European institutions, and the Vatican to take immediate action for Öcalan’s release.

The Council praised Öcalan’s efforts to support the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and his advocacy for cultural harmony. They asserted that achieving true democracy in the Middle East requires both the liberation of Öcalan and the recognition of the rights of all peoples, particularly those in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia).

The statement concluded with a renewed commitment to coexistence and mutual respect, emphasizing that these principles remain central to their mission.