Dialogos

Kenan Ayaz Released from Prison

Published February 16, 2026, 14:03
Kenan Ayaz Released from Prison

Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz was released from prison approximately four months before his scheduled release date, following pressure from supporters in Cyprus and Germany. The release occurred after serving two-thirds of his sentence, despite the fact that he and his defense team do not recognize the conviction, considering it politically motivated. The Observatory for Ayaz's trial states that the release was a decision by the President of the Republic and that his residence permit and refugee status have been settled. It denounces that Ayaz suffered hardship from the Cypriot judicial and executive branches, as well as torture from the German system. The Observatory claims that Ayaz's conviction was ordered by Turkey and approved by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It points out that Ayaz had been held in Turkish prisons for 17 years without trial and that his life and freedom are threatened by the Turkish state, making his detention in Cyprus unjustified. After his release, Ayaz visited the memorial of Theofilos Georgiadis to pay tribute and declare the continuation of the struggle for the freedom of Cyprus and Kurdistan, referring to Rojava and Kyrenia.