The trial against Kurdish politician Kenan Ayaz continued on Wednesday at the Higher Regional Court in Hamburg. Today’s short hearing was characterized by the reading of statements by the Federal Attorney General and court rulings. As usual, the court rejected almost all of the defense’s motions. Nevertheless, the court was forced to correct three judgments it issued during the previous main hearing, because in them it had made it too obvious, that the Court itself had long ago formed a judgment about Kenan Ayaz and considered him guilty from the beginning.
The conduct of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and in particular that of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is increasingly at the center of the proceedings. Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution claims to have received information from three so-called reliable informants that Kenan Ayaz was in charge of the Hamburg area. For this matter, a certain employee of the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution has already been heard as a witness, who appeared in the courtroom disguised in a wig and glasses and who was unable to give substantive answers to the defense’s questions. A fact which is now a problem for the German authorities. Precisely because of the lack of answers from the officer in question, the defense had requested that the three informants in question be personally heard as witnesses before the court.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution opposed the defense’s request and stated that questioning these informants would endanger the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany. This argument convinced the court not to take action against the foreclosure statement. Even voice-altered cross-examination of witnesses, the court said, carries the risk of exposing them and could put whistleblowers at risk. The main argument used was a trial before the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart, in which the key witness testified to falsely alleged violent stories about the PKK. Therefore, and in the absence of concrete evidence of the existence of such a risk, the proceeding that took place in Stuttgart was used as evidence of the alleged risk to whistleblowers if exposed to a public trial.
Therefore, the defense requested on the last day of the main hearing that it be allowed to put at least written questions to these informants. The federal attorney general was no longer able to deal with this defense request. It was clear that the suggestion that written questions could endanger informants was absurd.
It is not clear how the court will rule on the defense’s specific request. But as a precaution, the court today set further dates until August 2024, suggesting that the question of what the information from the Office of the Protection of the Constitution means and how it can be clarified remains a difficult one.
The hearing adjourned around noon and was postponed to April 19. The process was accompanied today by the Cypriot journalist Alekos Michaelidis from the newspaper Fileleftheros.
Further scheduled dates are: April 19, April 24, May 2. 31 May until 13:00, 6 June, 19 June until 13:00, 27 June, 2 July, 9 July, 11 July, 17 July, 22 July. and August 19. The trial takes place on the 1st floor of the OLG Hamburg at Sievekingplatz 3, in either room 237 or room 288. Sessions usually start at 9:30 am.
Mailing address and donation account
The website kenanwatch.org provides information in Greek, English and German about the trial and protests in Cyprus and Germany. Kenan Ayaz receives mail. Letters can also be written in languages other than Kurdish or Turkish, as translation is guaranteed. Please note the spelling of the name “Ayas” so that the letters are delivered.
Kenan Agias
Hamburg detention centre
Holstenglacis 3
20355 Hamburg
Donation account:
Rote Hilfe e.V. OG Hamburg
Keyword: Free Kenan
IBAN: DE06200100200084610203