A German court in Munich has sentenced a Kurdish activist to three years in prison for membership of a terrorist organisation, despite acknowledging the validity and the legitimacy of the Kurdish struggle.
Kurdish activist Mirza Bilen, who was arrested in May 2021, was sentenced for knowingly and willingly participating in activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been outlawed in Germany.
“Though the Kurdish people make up a large population, they are a nation with no country. Their struggle is valid and legitimate,” the court said in its decision.
Germany banned PKK activities in 1993 and since then, it has expanded the ban to include the use of symbols related to the Kurdish group, and the display of posters of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK.
Two lawyers this year lodged an official application to Germany’s Federal Interior Ministry calling for the lifting of the 28-year-long ban, saying that it gave the Turkish government leverage to put pressure on Kurds.