Kurdish activist Zübeyde Akmeşe was arrested on Tuesday at her apartment in Munich. According to her lawyer, Mathes Breuer, the measure was carried out as part of an investigation by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office. Police searched Akmeşe’s apartment for several hours. She was then taken to the Munich District Court, where she was brought before an investigating judge. The judge ordered pre-trial detention. The Kurdish woman was transferred to Stadelheim Prison.
The alleged suspicion against Akmeşe is membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which dissolved in 2025. According to Breuer, the accusation is based on Section 129b of the German Criminal Code—“membership in a foreign terrorist organization”—and, according to the lawyer, relates to activities that are in themselves legal. These include organizing demonstrations and cultural events, as well as providing translation for refugees and migrants during meetings with lawyers.
Kurdish association: politically motivated criminalization
The Kurdish Democratic Society Center in Munich, in which Akmeşe is active, strongly condemned the action against the activist. The association sees her arrest as an attempt to criminalize Kurdish political engagement. “The accusations against Zübeyde Akmeşe concern activities that, in other contexts, would be considered part of political participation. We will not accept their criminalization,” the statement said.
Previously imprisoned in Turkey
Zübeyde Akmeşe is an Alevi Kurd who experienced torture and violence in Turkey due to her background, which led her to flee to Germany after her release from prison. In Munich, she is a well-known figure in the Kurdish community. However, this is not the first time she has faced repression from German authorities. In July 2021, she was fined €2,700 for displaying portraits of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan at demonstrations the previous year. Those protests were directed against the Munich Security Conference, against Öcalan’s isolation on the Turkish prison island of Imrali, and against Ankara’s war in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
Solidarity protest outside the court
A spontaneous protest took place outside the Munich District Court during Akmeşe’s hearing. Around twenty people gathered in front of the building at short notice to express their solidarity with the activist. A spokesperson for the Kurdish Community Center stated: “We know very well that every movement and every effort for the rights of the Kurdish people is criminalized and portrayed as a crime by certain circles. This will not be accepted in any way.” The spokesperson also announced further protests in Munich against Akmeşe’s detention.
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