German police conducted multiple raids on a Kurdish association and flats in the cities of Lübeck and Kiel in northern Germany on the morning of Wednesday 12 March. Two Kurdish activists were arrested during the raids and are now awaiting trial on the grounds of allegedly collecting donations for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
In a press statement about the operation, Defend Kurdistan and Rote Hilfe (Red Help) 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 officers kicking down apartment doors, leaving living spaces devastated, confiscating mobile phones and documents.
Affected families have stated that no consideration was given to family members who were not accused, including sick people and small children. The community reported that some of the small children were traumatised by the brutality of the police raids.
The two detainees have been accused under section 129b of the German Criminal Code, which covers the membership of foreign criminal and terrorist organisations. They were transferred to Hamburg, where they are currently awaiting trial.
The Federation of Communities from Kurdistan in Northern Germany (FED-DEM) has shared a statement condemning the brutality of the police raids and critisising the German state for these repressive measures against the Kurdish community in Germany. In their statement, FED-DEM underlined that:
“the time of the raids is particularly remarkable, as the PKK only announced a ceasefire at the beginning of March and thus initiated a new peace process with the Turkish state.”
“Instead of supporting this step, the German state continues to act with its anti-Kurdish policy against Kurds and continues the repression against Kurdish activists.”, concluded FED-DEM.
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