Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides has approved the release from prison of Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz, concluding nearly three years of detention linked to his extradition and conviction in Germany.
Release approval and administrative steps
Local media reported that the release request was signed by the president on Friday. Ayaz, who returned to Cyprus in 2025 to serve the remainder of his sentence, is expected to be freed after the relevant administrative procedures are completed.
Arrest in Cyprus and extradition to Germany
Ayaz was arrested at Larnaca airport in March 2023 after Germany issued a European arrest warrant. He was extradited later that year.
German conviction and denial of charges
In September 2024, a German court sentenced Ayaz to four years and three months in prison for alleged membership of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a charge he has consistently denied.
Rights groups cite political motivation
Rights groups and supporters have described the prosecution as politically motivated and said the conviction was not based on acts of violence.
Transfer back to Cyprus and public campaign
Ayaz was detained in Germany for more than two years before being transferred back to Cyprus to serve the remaining part of his sentence after German authorities agreed to its recognition by the Cypriot courts. Public campaigns calling for his release intensified over the past year, citing his previous status as a recognised refugee in Cyprus and his long association with political activism focused on Kurdish rights.
Observatory statement on Cypriot law
An observatory monitoring the case repeatedly argued that the offences for which Ayaz was convicted in Germany did not constitute criminal offences under Cypriot law. During a press conference in Nicosia last year, observatory representatives said, “Every day that Kenan Ayaz remains in prison places a moral burden on the Republic,” and warned that continued detention risked legitimising what they described as political persecution.
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