Kenan Ayaz has been in pre-trial detention in Holstenglacis Prison in Hamburg since the beginning of June, following his extradition from Cyprus, under stricter prison conditions. On Friday, a demonstration was staged in front of the prison, promoted by Defend Kurdistan Hamburg and the Kurdish People's Council Hamburg.

The demonstration began with a minute's silence for all revolutionary martyrs, accompanied by the slogan Bijî berxwedana zindanan" (Long live the resistance in prisons).

In a speech by Defend Kurdistan, reference was made to the connection between the repression of the Kurdish movement and Turkey's attacks on Rojava, where at least 21 people have been murdered since 7 June, most recently including the co-chair of the Qamishlo autonomous administration, her deputy and her driver, who was also a member of the autonomous administration.

The committee protested against the imprisonment of Kenan Ayaz and announced solidarity with hi, stating: "Repression is not an individual problem."

In another speech, reference was made to the prison conditions for Kenan Ayaz: "All laws and restrictions are applied to him that otherwise only apply to dangerous terrorists and those accused of organised crime. However, Kenan Ayaz is not accused of anything other than organising demonstrations, participating in meetings and collecting donations in the interest of the PKK in the regions of Hamburg and Cologne. He is not accused of any other criminal offences and certainly not of any acts of violence. The conditions of imprisonment once again show the political nature of the criminal proceedings against Kenan Ayaz.

Kenan Ayaz is isolated in pre-trial detention. During the first week in Hamburg, he was completely separated from other fellow prisoners. He was in his solitary cell for 23 hours and even had to complete the one-hour yard exercise alone. As he does not speak German, he was almost unable to speak to the prison guards. After a week, he now at least has common yard time with some other prisoners.

In the 23 hours of confinement in his cell, he has nothing to occupy himself with. He cannot follow the current political news either. The TV in his cell only receives German channels, which he does not understand, and he does not get a newspaper either. And even the many books he brought with him from Cyprus have not yet been handed over to him. Only four books from the prison library have been given to him, which he has now read through several times.

He has also not yet received private visits; the first one-hour visit will take place at the end of June. On that occasion, Kenan Ayaz will be separated from his visitor by a pane of glass and the conversation will be monitored by the police and a police interpreter. Neither a handshake nor a private word is possible under these circumstances. In total, he is only entitled to two hours of visitation per month."