Larnaca: Justice and Public Order Minister Marios Hartsiotis announced that the Ministry submitted a request on August 6, 2025, to the Larnaca District Court for the transfer of Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz from a German prison to Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Ministry sought the Larnaca District Court’s recognition of the German court’s decision to facilitate Ayaz’s transfer to Cyprus at the earliest opportunity. This move aims to enable Ayaz to serve the remainder of his sentence in Cyprus.
The Observatory for the Trial of Kenan Ayaz previously announced the Justice Ministry’s submission of a formal request to the Larnaca District Court. This request seeks recognition and enforcement of the sentence imposed by the German court, marking the initiation of Ayaz’s potential return to Cyprus.
The Observatory described the request as the first step in fulfilling both legal obligations and moral duty towards Ayaz, whom it regards as a “freedom fighter.” The Observatory praised Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis for responding to public demand and acting decisively to ensure Ayaz’s return.
The Observatory urged the judiciary to expedite the recognition process, warning that delays in Ayaz’s return to Cyprus could prolong what it views as his unjust detention in Germany and undermine principles of the rule of law and political expression.
In September 2024, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg sentenced Kenan Ayaz to four years and three months in prison. Ayaz was arrested in Cyprus in March 2023 under a European arrest warrant issued at Germany’s request, leading to protests in Cyprus. His extradition was eventually completed in early June 2023.