Tomorrow, Wednesday 20 March, Welsh Assembly members will vote on #ImamsMotion calling on the Welsh Government to message the Committee for the Prevention of Torture to re-open its investigation into the isolation of Kurdish political leader, Abdullah Öcalan, and to support the Kurdish hunger strikes campaign.
Newport hunger strike nears 100th day
Newport resident, Imam Sis, has been on hunger strike since 17 December 2018. On the day of the motion, he will be on day 94. He and the other hunger strikers are asking
- That Turkey allows Abdullah Öcalan access to his lawyers (which he has been denied since 2011) and his family (he has only had one very short visit since 2016).
- That the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture re-open its investigation into Imrali Island, where Öcalan is being held.
#ImamsMotion
The motion is being moved by Plaid Cymru and was today raised in the Senedd by Welsh Assembly member and leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price.
Wales has a duty to stand in solidarity
The Freedom for Öcalan campaign spoke with Delyth Jewell AM and Plaid Cymru shadow minister for international affairs who spoke in the strongest terms about Plaid Cymru support for the motion and the Kurdish people.
Solidarity matters and the solidarity between the Kurdish and Welsh nations cannot be understated. As two small stateless nations, we must stand together. Our struggles for recognition and autonomy is a struggle that we share.
In the face of the bravery, courage and leadership demonstrated by Imam, the hunger strikers and all the Kurdish people, Wales has a duty to stand in solidarity with them all for freedom, against oppression.
When democratically-elected representatives arrested and imprisoned for the very act of representing their people, we must speak and stand up. The Europe and the world we want to build and eventually become a part of as an independent country cannot be one where social justice and democracy is forsaken for the sake of totalitarianism.
We must all raise our voices and call on both our government and the UK Government to demand Turkey abide by internationally agreed treaties on human rights, break the isolation and allow Öcalan legal access and the right to see his family.
Delyth Jewell AM, Plaid Cymru shadow minister for international affairs
Unions call for an end to the suffering of the Kurdish people
The campaign has also received messages of solidarity from local unions including UNISON Cardiff County, Unite Wales Youth and IWW Cymru.
UNISON Cardiff County calls on elected members of the Welsh Government to stand in solidarity with Imam Sis, who is on his 94th day of hunger strike, along with hundreds of other Kurdish hunger strikers in support of a peaceful resolution which aims to end the suffering of the Kurdish people who have had their rights denied.
We ask you to vote for the motion tomorrow regarding the hunger strike against human rights abuses by the Turkish state.
The hunger strikers are calling for Turkey to respect its human rights obligations under International Law.
They call on the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture to re-open its investigation into the conditions of the prisoners on Imrali Island where Abdullah Ocalan is being held.
The Senedd motion tomorrow calls on the Welsh Government to contact the Committee requesting this. We ask elected members to support this motion and argue in its favour in the debate and among your colleagues.
We ask you to demand the Turkish Government to end the solitary confinement of Abdullah Öcalan and other political prisoners and to reconvene peace talks.
Emma Garson
Ysgrifennydd Cangen UNISON Cyngor Caerdydd / Branch SecretaryUNISON Cardiff Council
The Freedom for Öcalan campaign fully supports local activists in their call to lobby Welsh Assembly members ahead of tomorrows critical debate. More information on how you can support #ImamsMotion can be found here.