Reiner Osbild, the former local chairman of the nationalist Alternative for Germany Party in the East Frisia region and professor at the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, has lost a second lawsuit against his former Kurdish student Bjeen Alhassan.

Osbild sought €25,000 and a cease-and-desist order over Alhassan’s public claims that his political role negatively affected her grades.

The Hamburg Higher Regional Court upheld an earlier dismissal, ruling her statements were protected opinion under free speech.

Earlier in 2022, Alhassan won a case after her former supervisor, Professor Osbild, filed a legal complaint against her for publicly speaking about his discriminatory behavior after her master’s graduation.

“Speaking out about discrimination came at a cost, but I refused to be silenced. This has been a long and exhausting journey, and today, I’m deeply relieved and grateful that we won. I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many incredible people,” Alhassan told Kurdistan Chronicle. 

“This victory is not just mine; it’s for everyone who believes in truth and justice. Freedom of speech is precious – and it’s worth fighting for.”

Alhassan came to Germany from Western Kurdistan (northern Syria) in 2014 and started her studies in 2016 at the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, completing her MBA in 2019.

In 2020, she received the National Integration Award from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel for her support of refugee women. In 2021, she was awarded the Order of Merit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Alhassan is also the founder and an executive director of a nonprofit that empowers women in Western Kurdistan.