Closing statements will be made in Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz’s trial in Hamburg, Germany on September 2, it emerged on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Kenan Ayaz Observatory, Ayaz, who was arrested in Cyprus last year, has been questioned by the Hamburg High Regional Court about Kurdish resistance over the last 100 years during which he has queried Europe’s responsibilities.
Ayaz was also quoted as saying that Europe had refused to resolve the Kurdish issue and stop the war.
“A solution to the conflict would not be in line with the strategy of the West – including the US. The West had recognised that the unresolved Kurdish issue would benefit it more in the long run,” the statement said.
Last month, the German prosecutor in the case against Ayaz, who is accused of terrorism, requested a 4.5-year prison sentence, which would be served in Cyprus if imposed.
Germany is accusing Ayaz of “terrorist action”. He was arrested by Cyprus police on March 15, 2023, and extradited to Germany on June 4, 2023.
Ayaz’s legal team, consisting of Cypriot lawyer Efstathios Efstathiou and German lawyers Antonia von der Behrens and Stefan Kun, stated that court procedures in Hamburg are nearly complete.
While the prosecutor is advocating for a prison sentence, the defence lawyers are insisting on acquittal.
