Let’s raise the resistance of prisoner’s against isolation!
The colonialist-fascist regime with Tayyip Erdogan at its head, is increasing isolation and oppression directed at prisoners as part of its Destruction Plan, which it put into action with the 20th July Suruç massacre and the following bombardment of Southern Kurdistan.
In prisons as violent practices such as strip searches, lynching attempts, padded cells, torture, sexual harrassment, threats and verbal abuse continue, so too abolishments of sentence reductions, delayed releases, widespread bans and restrictions on communications and visitations are enforced as the different expressions of the isolation system. Sexual violence enacted against female prisoners is covered up through frequent cell confinements. The same policies that resulted in the rape, torture and murder of Garibe Gezer by prison officers today threatens all female prisoners.
Absolute isolation directed against the leader of the Kurdish people Abdullah Öcalan has now continued without cease for three years. All the social, political and legal rights of Öcalan himself, political prisoners and prisoners sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment are being usurped.
Against these attacks which seek to break the wills of prisoners, obtain their surrender and in this way shatter the unceasing resistance against fascism, Kurdish political prisoners in Turkish political prisoners started an alternating hunger strike on 27th November 2023 which continues to this day. Their families on the outside further strengthen the struggle with their Watches for Justice.
The honourable struggle for freedom of prisoners and their families and the resistance against rights violations, isolation, torture and oppressions can only achieve victory with the building of a united solidarity movement across Turkey, Kurdistan and Europe. The fascist siege can be broken in so far as the awakening of honour and liberation in prisons is embraced on the streets through united de facto legitimate struggle. European imperialists, especially the Commission for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) under the EU commission, continue to ignore rights violations, torture and the use of solitary confinement in Turkey and Kurdistan. The EU, as it continues to provide support to the regime in its fascist-colonialist war, is an accomplice in the crimes directed against prisoners.
We call on the workers and labourers of Europe, anti-fascist forces, women and youth, immigrant organisations, internationalist, communist, revolutionary organisations and individuals to build solidarity with prisoners in the face of the persecution in the cells of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, and to embrace prisoners’ struggle for dignity and freedom against isolation and oppression. With this aim, on the dates 2-4 February in Cologne, Germany, Paris, France, Basel, Switzerland and London, UK will be conducting a hunger strike in solidarity and will be a voice from Europe to the developing resistance against isolation.
We call on all our people to support the hunger strikes and to build the struggle.
Let’s build the united struggle against oppression and isolation against prisoners!
Long live prisoner’s struggle for freedom and dignity!
Long live international solidarity!
AVEG-KON, SKB, TSP, YS
