Cyprus Times

Kanan Ayaz Released from Prison, Refugee Status Renewed

Published February 16, 2026, 12:11
Kanan Ayaz Released from Prison, Refugee Status Renewed

Kurdish political activist Kanan Ayaz has been released from Cyprus' Central Prisons after serving two-thirds of his sentence. His release followed pressure from Kurdish and Cypriot supporters, as well as intervention from the President of the Republic. Ayaz was arrested in March 2023 and convicted on the orders of Turkey, having previously been held in Turkish prisons for 17 years without trial. Despite the conviction, Ayaz refuses to recognize it, considering it politically motivated. Following his release, he visited the memorial of Theofilos Georgiadis, expressing his commitment to the struggle for the freedom of Cyprus and Kurdistan. Ayaz's refugee status has been renewed, and he has been granted a residence permit.