Kenan Ayaz was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on charges of “participation in a terrorist organisation,” according to Article 129b of the German Penal Code.
The Kurdish activist was accused of acting as a “regional leader” of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and of participating in the organisation of “propaganda events and gatherings” such as demonstrations, festivals, and fundraising activities.
Kenan has already spent twelve years in Turkish prisons and had been living in Cyprus as a recognised political refugee since 2013. In March 2023, he was arrested at Larnaca International Airport, detained, and on June 2 of that same year, he was extradited to Germany. Since then, he has been held in “Holsenglacis” prison in Hamburg, while the judicial process began last November.
The trial was an arduous process for Kenan himself and for the Kurds who followed it, as the federal prosecution and the three-member court tried to criminalise the Kurdish struggle for freedom without substantial evidence of criminal acts.
It was obvious that the Kurdish activist had already been condemned by the court president, who treated all his references and statements with scepticism and arrogance, while she showed the same attitude towards his defence team, consisting of Efstathios Efstathiou, Antonia von der Behrens, and Stefan Kuhn.
At the same time, Kenan Ayaz had to endure the unbearable conditions of his detention in the building of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court, with every conversation monitored, his letters read, and his books confiscated.
But those in Hamburg needed to understand that they were up against a wall of dignity, pride, and conscience, and no matter how much they harassed Kenan Ayaz, they would never make him repent for his contribution to the Kurdish national liberation struggle.
The Kurdish activist fought until the end against all attempts to demean and criminalise the Kurdish struggle for freedom with extensive political and historical analyses. He relentlessly pointed out and named the historical and contemporary injustices perpetrated by the rulers of Turkey and Europe.
He spoke about the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, the genocides committed by the Turkish state against the Kurds, Armenians, and Greeks, and never forgot to thank the Cypriot people for their support.
In a message delivered after hearing his sentence, Kenan emphasised that his conviction legitimises the practices of the Turkish state, including the genocide of the Kurds and the occupation of Cyprus.
He called on the Kurdish and Cypriot people to continue resisting and expressed his certainty that together they would win, together they would be liberated. Unfortunately, however, Kenan’s image, his struggle, and his messages did not move the Cypriot authorities, who failed to take appropriate action to protect both him and the Kurdish struggle for freedom.
In short, the fight fought by Kenan Ayaz and his defence team was a tough one.
They had to face not only the federal prosecution of Germany but also the three-member court and the excellent relations between the Germans and the Turks, which could not be broken over Kurdish human rights. Even Erdoğan himself took a personal interest in the trial, expressing satisfaction at the suffering of a “terrorist” and thanking the German Chancellor.
With all this in mind, the Cypriot authorities, both judicial and executive, knew very well that Kenan’s extradition to Germany meant his conviction for his political beliefs and origin, but they either consented to or tolerated this injustice.
Therefore, if they have any trace of shame, humanity, or conscience left, they must act to bring Kenan back to Cyprus to serve his sentence. The Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and even the Presidency itself must intervene to implement the conditions set by the Larnaca District Court in its decision for his extradition.
They have a duty to Kenan of Kurdistan and Cyprus, to a man who placed the two homelands above his own life. Any negligence on their part would be criminal.
