Kurdish artist Şerif Oğur was arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to his family, Oğur was taken into custody on November 5 during an appointment to extend his residence permit at the immigration office in the city of Olpe and was then handed over to the police.
The background to Oğur’s arrest is an extradition request made by Turkey. Şerif Oğur fled Turkey for political reasons in 2019 and has been living in Attendorn in the Sauerland region ever since. He comes from the district of Karlıova in the province of Bingöl.
Oğur is known as a musician and singer in the Kurdish language and has been artistically involved in the Kurdish cultural center NÇM. His brother Renas Oğur was a member of the Kurdish freedom movement and lost his life in June 2018.
The family fears that Şerif Oğur will face politically motivated prosecution and imprisonment if he is extradited to Turkey. According to information from his circle, legal steps are currently being taken against a possible extradition. The exact content of the Turkish extradition request is not yet known.
In recent years, Turkey has repeatedly attempted to arrest and extradite politically unpopular individuals in exile with the help of international arrest warrants, including through Interpol. Human rights organizations criticize this approach as an abuse of international legal instruments to suppress opposition figures, journalists, cultural figures, and activists.