GERMAN authorities have launched a further crackdown on progressive groups after it banned the congress of a leading Kurdish umbrella organisation on security grounds.

The Fourth Congress of the Democratic Society of Kurdistan in Europe (KCDK-E) was due to take place today but organisers were told by Cologne police in a phone call on Friday that it could not go ahead.

The reason given for the ban was that “200 high-ranking PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] officials” were said to be attending the conference.

But KCDK-E co-presidents Fatos Guksungur and Yuksel Koc dismissed this claim as “simply a lie.”

“The Congress of the Democratic Society of Kurdistan in Europe — KCDK-E — is an officially registered association in Belgium and has the right to organise conferences in all European countries,” they said.

Delegates had been due to attend from Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Canada and Australia.

“The assumption that the delegates are high-ranking PKK executives and thus part of a banned association, is a threat to the very existence of our organisation. 

“This unsubstantiated assertion is intended to silence Kurdish self-organisation.

“Depriving us of the fundamental rights to freedom of assembly and expression is only the first step,” they said, confirming that KCDK-E was taking legal advice.

The group said the ban was part of a broader attempt to criminalise political activity by Kurdish organisations across Europe.

Germany has taken similar measures to inhibit support for the Palestinian resistance by banning display of the Hamas flag in a Bundestag motion last month backed by all major parties.

It came as Germany has seen an upsurge in support for the Palestinian people, with tens of thousands taking to the streets in opposition to the latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

By contrast German government buildings displayed the Israeli flag as a display of solidarity with Tel Aviv during its 11-day bombing campaign, during which more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed.

Last week German electoral authorities banned the German Communist Party (DKP) from standing in the forthcoming national elections on spurious administrative grounds.

DKP chief Patrik Kobele condemned the move as “politically motivated and part of the recent attacks against progressive organisations” and an attempt to drive the party into financial ruin.

He called for party members and supporters to take to the streets to protest against the election ban and strengthen the DKP against the attack.