Early this morning, German police raided and searched seven flats and the Kurdish Community Center in Kiel.

In a press statement about the operation, Defend Kurdistan and Rote Hilfe in Kiel condemned the repression and expressed their solidarity with those affected.

According to the statement, the police officers appeared at the accused's home “suddenly” at around 5:30 a.m., accompanied by sniffer dogs. The statement described the police action as ruthless, with the officers kicking in apartment doors, devastating living spaces and, above all, confiscating cell phones and written documents. No consideration was given to family members who were not accused, including sick people and children. A main suspect was transferred to Hamburg for a detention review appointment following the search. The raids were carried out in accordance with a recent order issued by the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg on March 10, 2025.

The detainees have been accused under sections 129a and b of the German Criminal Code of supporting and acting on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is a criminal organization in Germany. According to the press release, the accusations relate exclusively to legal activist activities such as calling for demonstrations, organizing cultural events or collecting donations. The main defendant is accused of acting as a regional leader of the PKK.

Annette Tunde from Defend Kurdistan Kiel condemned the repression, saying: “Today's police raid on our comrades and the Kurdish community center, as well as the proceedings and accusations behind it, are unacceptable. Once again, activists working for the rights of Kurds and the democratization of society are facing criminalization by German authorities under absurd terrorism charges. We stand in solidarity with those affected and demand the immediate cessation of all proceedings. The paragraphs 129a and b, which repeatedly legitimize this, should be abolished.”

Anja Sommerfeld from the Kiel group of the nationwide anti-repression organization Rote Hilfe stated the following about the political context of the operation: “State repression against the Kurdish movement has a long tradition in Germany and is based on the more than 30-year-old ban on the PKK, the lifting of which is long overdue. The timing of the raids is particularly sensitive given that the PKK only announced a ceasefire at the beginning of this month, thereby launching a new peace process with the Turkish state. Nevertheless, the German state, as the henchman of its close ally Turkey, continues to crack down on politically active Kurds. This must also be understood in the context of the increasing repression against leftists and progressive movements in this country, as well as an increasingly authoritarian state, especially when the foreign policy interests of the German Federal Government are affected. We will not be intimidated. The Kurdish liberation struggle is legitimate!”