NO to the extradition of Kenan Ayaz

 

8 May 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

AKEL’s full support for the struggle to prevent the Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz from being extradited to Germany was expressed today by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, in a meeting with a delegation of the Kurdistan Cultural Centre “Theophilos”.

The members of the delegation, Kurds living in Cyprus, briefed AKEL about the ongoing persecution of the Kurdish movement and the arrest warrants issued by Germany against thousands of Kurds at the request of Turkey. They were also briefed about the conditions of detention of Kenan Ayaz in the Central Prison in Nicosia, who, while on hunger strike for a few days, was unjustifiably transferred to solitary confinement.

AKEL has been on the side of the Kurdish community from the very first moment for the release of Kenan Ayaz and Stefanos Stefanou assured that the Party will continue to be present in the mobilisations on the issue. AKEL will also be present tomorrow 9 May at 10:30am at the mobilisation outside the Supreme Court where the appeal hearing of the Larnaca District Court’s decision granting the request for Kenan Ayaz’s extradition to Germany begins. In addition, AKEL will make representations to the competent authorities in relation to the conditions of Kenan Ayaz’s detention, given that the Office of the Commissioner for Administration has also intervened on the matter.

Finally, on the occasion of the meeting, AKEL pointed out its long-standing demand for the removal of the Kurdish Workers’ Party from the EU’s list of terrorist organisations, a list which is in any case is drawn up arbitrarily and with the purpose of serving expediencies.

On AKEL’s part, the AKEL delegation at meeting was also attended by member of the Political Bureau Neoklis Sylikiotis and the Party’s Spokesperson and MP Giorgos Koukoumas.