Suspected PKK leader on trial in Hamburg
Amid protests from pro-Kurdish demonstrators, state security proceedings against a suspected leading member of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) have begun at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg. The federal prosecutor's office has charged the 49-year-old with membership of a foreign terrorist organization. According to the indictment, the Turkish national allegedly worked as a full-time cadre of the PKK in northern Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia from September 2018 to June 2020.
The accused was arrested in Cyprus in March and transferred to Germany in June. He has been in custody since then.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office classifies the PKK as a foreign terrorist organization that is responsible for numerous attacks and assassinations in Turkey. The PKK has been banned from operating in Germany since 1993.
Before the trial began on Friday, supporters of the accused demonstrated in front of the court building. A placard read "Against the criminalization of the Kurdish movement". They demanded the release of the 49-year-old, whom they described as a political prisoner. In the courtroom, the defendant was greeted by his supporters with applause from the packed auditorium. He flashed the Victory sign.
The trial brings into question the role of the accused in the PKK's processes, as he is charged with being a full-time cadre of the organization. The PKK's extremist actions and motives continue to spark controversies and protests, as seen with the pro-Kurdish demonstrators demanding the release of the suspected leader.
Source: www.dpa.com
