‘Illegal’ delay in sending Ayaz from Germany to Cyprus

The observatory in the case of Kenan Ayaz, who was convicted last year of being a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation after being extradited from Cyprus to Germany, has reported an “unjustified and illegal” delay on behalf of the German authorities to send him back to Cyprus to serve his sentence.

Extraditing the Kurdish political refugee to Cyprus is explicitly provided for by binding EU law on the mutual recognition of custodial sentences, which aims to rehabilitate prisoners and strengthen mutual trust between EU member states, the observatory said.

It added that Cyprus has already acted fully in accordance with its obligations and that on June 23 the justice ministry requested the immediate transfer of Ayaz to Cyprus, only to be met by refusal on behalf of the German authorities.

The observatory has urged the European Commission and the European Parliament to intervene to ensure Germany’s compliance.

Ayaz had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison last year after having been convicted of being a member of a “foreign terrorist organisation”, namely the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).

He had initially been jailed in Turkey in 1993, before later being acquitted. He was then indicted again in Turkey in 2010, before travelling to Cyprus, where he was granted refugee status.

German authorities then issued a European arrest warrant in his name and he was extradited in 2023.