Pressure on for Ayaz to serve sentence in Cyprus

Pressure has been piling on the government this week after Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for being a ‘member of a terrorist organisation’, amid calls for Cyprus to ensure Ayaz serves his jail time in the Republic.

Diplomatic sources close to the matter who spoke to the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday on condition of anonymity said the case was being handled by the justice ministry.

The sentence has been branded as unacceptable by his supporters and lawyer Stephan Kuhn who slammed the court’s decision saying it is “becoming increasingly clear that supposed geopolitical interests are being placed above fundamental and human rights.

“People are being punished more and more excessively for their non-violent political commitment.”

The contentious case came to a head on Monday after The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg passed down its judgement on Ayaz, who has been detained since his arrest in Cyprus last year, and his subsequent extradition to Germany.

A website setup to provide updates on Ayaz’s case ‘Kenan Ayaz Watch’ said the 50-year-old was accused of acting as a ‘regional leader’ of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

He was found guilty of his involvement in the organisation of ‘propaganda events and gatherings’ such as demonstrations and festivals and in collecting donations.

Reports suggested the decision would be appealed.

Ayaz was described as taking the decision calmly, and in his own speech to court said “I have been standing up with my pen and with my words for decades. This is a constitutional right. But in my case, the constitution is being ignored in order to satisfy [Turkish President Tayyip] Erdogan. This is also a violation of European law.”

Though Cyprus’ extradition decision stipulates Ayaz should serve his prison time in the Republic, his supporters have long feared that Turkey’s close ties with Germany could mean Ayaz is extradited to Turkey, where his life could be in danger.

Ayaz has already spent 12 years in jail in Turkey.

On Tuesday, Akel issued a statement calling on the government to “take on its responsibilities” and initiate steps with German authorities so that Ayaz can carry out his sentence in Cyprus.

“This was the condition set by the Cypriot justice system.”

Larnaca district court was the first court to approve of Ayaz’s extradition to Germany in April 2023. An appeal failed a month later at the Supreme Court.

Ayaz had been living in Cyprus for 10 years as a political refugee but was arrested by Cypriot police on March 15, 2023.

He was eventually extradited to Germany on June 4, 2023 on terrorism charges.

Akel was vociferous in its criticism of Cyprus’ handling of the case. “The Republic of Cyprus itself does not consider the PKK a terrorist organisation and yet it handed over a man it recognised as a political refugee to a country that counts the Kurdish PKK as a terrorist organisation and cooperates closely with the Turkish state in the persecution of the Kurdish movement.”

German MP for The Left (Die Linke) Cansu Ozdemir called the decision absurd, according to Kenan Ayaz Watch.

“It’s absurd. Ayaz is being accused of completely legal acts that are only punishable because the German government is supporting the Erdogan regime by banning the PKK. However, if the German constitutional state waves through such politically motivated charges at Erdogan’s behest, this has nothing to do with justice. The ban on the PKK must finally be lifted.”

Similarly, Kuhn said “it is bitter to see that the Turkish regime is also being rewarded by the German state for its policies that are contemptuous of international and human rights, while the belief in the rule of law and democracy is being further frustrated.”