Activists in the German city of Stuttgart took action in solidarity with the thousands of political prisoners incarcerated by the authoritarian Turkish state. Activists unfurled a banner on a Lurdwigsburg-Stuttgart bridge saying “Freedom for all political prisoners”. The issue of political prisoners has become increasingly prominent in Turkey following the recent “Law of Execution” passed in parliament. … Read more
Across Europe, civil society, politicians, activists and Kurdish community groups have continued to condemn the Turkish bombing of the Mexmûr refugee camp. The continued embargo of the camp by the KDP regional government in Iraq has also faced strong criticism. The attack by Turkish military aircraft left three dead and drew international condemnation. In Strasbourg, … Read more
Restricted freedom of expression, a gagged press or disempowered constitutional courts – as a rule, these are characteristics of autocracies. But the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s latest Transformation Index shows that the rule of law and political freedoms are also being eroded in an increasing number of democracies. The main causes are abuse of power and cronyism, … Read more
The shocking bombing of the Mexmûr refugee camp by Turkish fighter jets has drawn condemnation by protesters across the world. Protests have targeted both the Turkish government and the international community for its failure to condemn the violence. France: In France, activists from the Kurdish Revolutionary Youth Movement (TCŞ) staged a protest against the deadly … Read more
Eleven opposition parties including the HDP have expressed strong opposition to the new Criminal Enforcement bill planned by the Turkish state. The bill makes provisions for the release of prisoners during the Corona crisis but crucially excludes the release of political prisoners. Opposition parties have branded this exclusion as a cruel denial of political prisoners’ … Read more
On the 4th of March Fossalto muncipality in the province of Campobasso (Molise region) awarded imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan honorary citizenship. Similar recognition has been given in the past by the municipalities of Tufara, Campobasso, Castelbottaccio, Palermo, Napoli, Palagonia, Reggio Emilia, Riace, Martano and Pinerolo. The award recognised Öcalan’s imprisonment in solitary confinement for … Read more
Dozens of academics, journalists and human rights activists have signed an open letter to the Boris Johnson and the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Along with 70,000 other students imprisoned by the Turkish state Ilhan Sami Çomak was imprisoned for political and anti-Kurdish reasons. The nationalist ideology of the regime means that they see Kurdish … Read more
After the arrests of four journalists in Turkey, the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR) reiterated its concerns regarding Turkey’s crackdown on the press. Following this news the IOHR noted how “Turkey remains the worst jailer of journalists globally.” The recent arrests were justified through rhetoric by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan painting his political opponents and … Read more