German Constitutional Court rules police raid on Kurdish association was unjust

Before the elections in Turkey on June 24, 2018, early in the morning on June 13, 2018, the German police raided the office of Civaka Azad, an association affiliated with the Democratic Kurdish Society Centre in Germany (NAV-DEM), which forges public opinion for the Kurds. The raid by the German government was considered as an act of support to the Erdogan regime.

The German police, who simultaneously raided the houses of the NAV-DEM administrators, cited a demonstration, which had been planned to protest the Turkish invasion in Afrin, but did not take place, as a reason for the raids.

Although there was no search warrant for the members of the Civaka Azad, the police raided the office of the organization since it was located in the same building with the NAV-DEM association. A lawsuit was brought against the police raid later.

After almost 4 years, the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin reviewed Civaka Azad’s application and made a decision.

The court ruled that the police raid was unjust and unlawful and requested that the case be reheard in a state court.

Previously, both district and state courts had rejected Civaka Azad’s application, justifying the police raid.

‘BELATED DECISION’

“Although the decision is belated, it is very important for us. Because the legal rights of Kurdish associations and activists are trampled on by citing the PKK ban as a justification,” Mako Qocgirî, one of the Civaka Azad members, said.

Qocgirî pointed out that the Civaka Azad is working to report the developments in Kurdistan to the German public.

“Our activities should not be criminalized by the security units, and we will now continue our legal struggle at the Berlin State Court,” he added.