Guarantee of Ocalan's safety and human rights is an urgent international obligation

The Iranian Resistance strongly condemns the scheme to abduct and extradite Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), as a disgraceful and abhorrent violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the sacred right to asylum.

Safeguarding Mr. Ocalan's security and human rights is an urgent obligation before all international bodies and organizations, and all advocates of human rights. These rights must be guaranteed regardless of Mr. Ocalan's beliefs, political line, conduct and the accusations leveled by the Turkish government.

All governments and competent organizations and human rights advocates are put to test on the threshold of the third millennium, and the simultaneous with the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates that "Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state"(Article 13) and "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." (Article 14).

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
February 17, 1999

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