Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz was transferred from German police custody to Cyprus on Monday, arriving at approximately 2:20 p.m. and proceeding directly to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Ayaz, 49, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison by Hamburg’s Higher Regional Court in September 2024 for alleged membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organisation by the European Union.
The transfer follows extensive legal proceedings spanning over two years.
Controversial conviction following Cyprus extradition case
Ayaz had been granted political refugee status in Cyprus before his arrest at Larnaca Airport in March 2023 on a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities. He was extradited to Germany in June 2023 despite legal challenges and solidarity campaigns in Cyprus.
The conviction was based on allegations that Ayaz held high-level responsibility within the PKK between 2018-2019, organising demonstrations and fundraising activities. His legal team had argued the charges were politically motivated and targeted him as a Kurdish intellectual, with his appeal unanimously rejected by German courts in May 2025.
Ayaz previously served twelve years in Turkish prisons from 1993, before being acquitted and later facing renewed indictment in 2010, prompting his move to Cyprus where he received refugee protection.
Justice minister expedites prisoner transfer procedures
The Justice Ministry received the requisite paperwork from German authorities for Ayaz’s conviction to be recognised and served locally, with the Larnaca District Court approving the transfer arrangement.
Ayaz intends to seek early release on health grounds, having already served more than half his sentence during detention in Hamburg’s Holstenglacis prison.
The PKK launched its insurgency in 1984 with the initial aim of creating an independent Kurdish state, with more than 40,000 people killed in the decades-long conflict before the group announced its dissolution in May 2025.
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