Former Kurdish ruling PYD Co-leader arrested in Prague

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - Former co-chair of the ruling Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) party, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Salih Muslim, was arrested in Prague on Sunday, according to Turkish-state run news.

Kurdish news agencies close to the PYD and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) confirmed Muslim's arrest, stating the move was made at the request of Turkey.

Ankara views the PYD, and its military wing, the People's Protection Unit (YPG), and Women's Protection Units (YPJ), as a ‘terrorist’ group and an extension of the outlawed PKK, a group fighting a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish government in Turkey.

Turkey had also previously advertised a $1 million bounty for Muslim's arrest.

Muslim was the co-leader of the PYD from 2010 until 2017.

Muslim traveled to Prague to participate in a conference. According to party-affiliated news agencies, Turkish intelligence was monitoring the Kurdish leader after which Czech police increased security measures in the Marriot Hotel where Muslim was staying and ultimately brought him into custody.

Photo below released by Turkish news agencies show Muslim in the hotel prior to his arrest.

Editing by Nadia Riva