The extradition to Germany of 49-year-old Kurdish political activist Kenan Ayaz will take place within 10 days following Wednesday’s Larnaca district court decision which his supporters have described as ‘shameful’.
Ayaz was arrested at Larnaca International Airport on March 15 on charges of international terrorism, and his extradition to Germany is expected to pave the way for a further extradition to Turkey.
However, Larnaca district judge Michalis Papathanasiou who read out the verdict said “no evidence presented before the court pointed to a further extradition of Ayaz to Turkey from Germany.”
And that – given the activist’s concerns – the Larnaca court has requested Germany not to proceed with a further extradition to Turkey. And that if he is, indeed, convicted the custodial sentence against him should be served in Cyprus.
Ayaz has been living in Cyprus for 10 years as a political refugee and his arrest sparked a number of protests by Kurdish nationals living in Cyprus.
His defense lawyer said an appeal will be filed within three days – as stipulated by the law.
Since 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has given Germany a list of almost 4,000 names his administration considers Kurdish terrorists.
