Solidarity with the imprisoned OPCW demonstrators

The anti-fascist movement Radical Solidarity in the Netherlands is mobilising for a demonstration in support of the four youth activists who were arrested on 3 December after protesting in front of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) building in The Hague. The demonstration will take place on Friday at 16:30 from Koekamp in The Hague.

The appeal reads: “Solidarity with the arrested OPCW demonstrators! Our Kurdish comrades are still detained after a peaceful action at the OPCW in The Hague. They were protesting against the use of chemical weapons against Kurds by the Turkish state. Not only were they subjected to blatant police violence, but they are still detained. This must not go uncommented. Join the demonstration! No one is alone in the hands of the state!”

In Amsterdam, activists from Radical Solidarity and the Kurdish youth movement mobilised for the demonstration last night with posters and graffiti. Days of action have been called for the period until 9 January to support the Kurdish youth movement and to create publicity for the situation in Kurdistan. Radical Solidarity is demanding the release of all political prisoners and support for the OPCW activists’ demand for an independent investigation into Turkey’s use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan.

Background to the OPCW protests

In 2021, Turkey used chemical weapons at least 367 times against the Kurdish freedom movement and the people in Southern Kurdistan, killing forty guerrilla fighters. The large-scale offensive of the Turkish army and its war crimes were brought to public attention worldwide through actions, petitions, research, protest and resistance. In particular, the use of outlawed weapons was made an unmistakable issue in European countries.

Since the middle of last year, Kurdish organisations have been demanding an independent investigation into Turkey’s use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan. Numerous protests have taken place in front of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to reiterate this demand. In the media and in politics, the accusations have been consistently ignored. To break the general silence, the Kurdish youth movement again called on the OPCW to act on 3 December. A large number of activists from various European countries travelled to the scene of the action, and some of them even managed to get into the organisation’s building. The police arrested 44 people, 39 of whom were released after three days in custody.

Trial on 23 February

The remaining five activists were brought before a court on 20 December. The Dutch prosecution accuses Sinan E., Abdullah G., Serhat E., Hakan H. and Hugo G. of damage to public property, violence against the police, violation of the Assembly Act and trespassing. The court ordered pre-trial detention for four activists. The next court hearing is on 23 February. Serhat E. is to be deported to France because his asylum case is pending there.

Campaign of the Kurdish Youth Movement

The Kurdish youth movement sees the arrest of the activists as a concrete example of the use of enemy penal law against Kurds. In a joint statement, the “Revolutionary Youth Movement” (TCŞ) and the “Movement of Combative Young Women” (TekoJIN) criticised that legitimate protest against the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state in Southern Kurdistan is criminalised and special law is pronounced against alleged “enemies of the state”, who are thus practically deprived of rights and socially ostracised. “However, it would be fatal to expect the youth of Kurdistan to kneel before Europe in the face of this hostile and hateful attitude. The Kurdish youth movement will not tolerate Turkey’s chemical weapons attacks in southern Kurdistan, nor the ongoing occupation and human rights violations in the other parts, and will stick to its protest everywhere.”

TCŞ and TekoJIN have initiated a campaign under the slogan “The Kurdish people’s struggle is not a crime! – Raise your voice!”. The Kurdish population in exile and solidarity, anti-fascist and internationalist circles are called upon to stand up for the arrested youth activists in order to obtain their immediate release: “We invite everyone to support this just cause and raise their voices together with us against this injustice. For we know that those who do not rise up against this oppression today may be its victims tomorrow.”