Germany Detains Senior Member of PKK in Hamburg
(MENAFN) German authorities detained a senior member of the PKK terrorist organization in Hamburg on Tuesday, officials confirmed.
The 54-year-old suspect was apprehended on “strong suspicion of membership and a leadership role in a foreign terrorist organization,” according to a statement from Saxony’s police department.
Prosecutors said the suspect had overseen PKK operations in Hamburg and previously directed activities in Saxony from early 2015 until July 2018. His role also extended to coordinating operations in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Authorities detailed that his responsibilities involved “supervising subordinate PKK regional officials, organizing propaganda events and assemblies, and conducting annual fundraising campaigns for the terrorist organization.”
During the coordinated operation, investigators searched the homes of two additional suspects, seizing mobile phones, storage media, documents, and substantial amounts of cash.
The PKK is designated by Europol as an ethno-nationalist and separatist terrorist group and has been banned in Germany since 1993. Despite the prohibition, the organization remains active, reportedly drawing support from nearly 15,000 individuals within the Kurdish immigrant community.
Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the BfV, has highlighted that the PKK is the largest foreign extremist network in the country and warned that followers could carry out violent attacks if directed by leaders abroad.
The group recently held a congress in May, announcing its dissolution following a February call by ringleader Abdullah Ocalan to end decades of violence. German authorities emphasized that they will “continue monitoring the group's activities to determine whether it genuinely abandons terrorism” while keeping the ban on its operations in place.
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