Alpha News

Nicola Ioannidis: Kenan Ayaz Has Not Lost Political Refugee Status

Published January 28, 2026, 16:19

The Observatory for the trial of Kenan Ayaz announced that the Kurdish politician has not lost his political refugee status in Cyprus, despite the commitments and decisions of the authorities. It points out that his detention in the Central Prisons negates the institutional framework invoked by the state. The Observatory emphasizes that no evidence of a criminal offense by Ayaz has been presented, but Cyprus applied the European framework for recognizing decisions, despite the fact that the offenses for which he was convicted in Germany do not constitute criminal offenses in Cyprus. It believes that the continuation of his detention is a political choice, given the risk of political persecution from Turkey and the nature of his conviction. The case is linked to the situation in Rojava and the lack of international solidarity.