DIe Linke deputy to face court for posting a PKK flag photo

The increasing number of investigations by German security and judicial units against those who show sympathy for the Kurdish freedom movement is remarkable.

Hamburg State Assembly Die Linke Group Co-Chair Cansu Özdemir will appear in Court for a PKK flag photo she posted on Twitter.

Özdemir commemorated the anniversary of the ban on the PKK's activities in Germany sharing a photo of the organisation's flag on Twitter on 27 November 2017, writing "Give up the ban on PKK”.

Following the investigation, Özdemir was sentenced by a local court to pay a fine of 500 euros. Özdemir did not pay and the penalty increased to 1500 euros. Now she has to appear in front of the judge.

Die Linke reaction

The first hearing Özdemir was expected to be held at the Hamburg-Altona Administrative Court next week, but the court has postponed it to 28 October.

Sabine Boeddinghaus, co-chair of Die Linke group in the Hamburg State Assembly, reacted to the court's decision.

Reminding that Özdemir was tried again in 2015 with a similar accusation and then the file was closed, Boeddinghaus said: “I hope a similar result will be reached at the present trial”.

Noting that Özdemir sharing a photo is completely within the framework of freedom of opinion, Boeddinghaus added: “This habit of putting people on trial for the symbols and photos they share should end. And by the way, these symbols are the symbols of the movements that defeated ISIS, the enemy of women and democracy."

The increasing number of investigations by German security and judicial units against those who show sympathy for the Kurdish freedom movement is remarkable.

The source of the investigations stems from a circular issued by the Ministry of Interior on 16 March 2017 to 16 states.

The circular prohibited the display of all the photographs of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, as well as the symbols of the YPG, YPJ, PYD, and symbols of the Kurdish freedom movement.