President of Cyprus signs release for Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz

President Nikos Christodoulides signed a release request on Friday for Kenan Ayaz, a 50-year-old Kurdish activist. Ayaz had been in detention since March 2023 following his initial arrest in Cyprus. He was subsequently extradited to Germany, where a court sentenced him in September 2024 to four years and three months in prison. The conviction was based on his alleged membership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group classified as a terrorist organization by several countries. After serving over two years of his sentence in Germany, Ayaz returned to Cyprus to serve the remainder of his term locally. The presidential pardon effectively concludes his detention following a prolonged period of legal and political advocacy. This decision marks the end of a high-profile case that involved complex extradition proceedings between Cyprus and Germany.