Ill health postpones Kurdish activist’s deportation (updated)

Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz’s extradition to Germany on terrorism charges has been postponed because of his ill health, the Kurdish-Cypriot solidarity association Theophilos said on Wednesday.

Ayaz was arrested in March on a European warrant issued by Germany, which is seeking his extradition on terrorism charges.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that the extradition was postponed until June 2 because Ayaz’s health would not allow for him to be transferred to German prisons.

After the Larnaca court agreed to his extradition the case was taken to the Supreme Court which also ruled he should be extradited. Prosecution authorities stressed that the extradition should not lead to his further removal to other countries, meaning Turkey.

His lawyer’s also lodged a case at the European Court of Human Rights, which said it would only intervene if it appeared Ayaz was to be sent outside Germany.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday Ayaz was on day 15 of a hunger strike, which he began when the first court ruled he would be extradited.

The Theofilos group said Ayaz would receive be examined by doctors before a go ahead could be given for his extradition.

The group added had he been transferred to Germany, he would have had to enter high-security prisons for those facing terrorism charges. The conditions in these prisons are inhumane the group said.