At the panel held on the occasion of the ban imposed on the PKK in Germany 31 years ago, a call for sensitivity was made for prisoner Mazlum Dora, who went on hunger strike a month ago against the arbitrary and ill-treatment of Kurdish political prisoners.

The ban on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which came into force in Germany on 26 November, 1993, is entering its 31st year.

A panel was held in Stuttgart ahead of the anniversary of the ban that criminalized Kurds living in Germany and deprived them of many political and social rights.

In addition to Kurds living in Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Esslingen, many Germans also attended the panel.

Speaking at the panel were Lawyer Heike Geisweid and Axel Oswald, who dealt with various PKK cases, and German Bundestag MP Gökay Akbulut from Die Linke.

Gulistan Ateş, a member of Heilbronn Democratic Kurdish Community Center, opening the panel, pointed out that Kurdish prisoner Mazlum Dora is continuing the hunger strike he started in Stammheim High Security Prison last month against the arbitrary and ill-treatment of Kurdish political prisoners, and said that his health was gradually deteriorating.

Gulistan Ateş said that Dora went on hunger strike on 21 September and called on people for sensitivity. Various Kurdish activists told about the persecution they suffered because of the ban.