According to the court, there are several obstacles to the handover. Turkey has demanded that Sweden hand over dozens of people during the country’s NATO membership process.
In Sweden, the Supreme Court has blocked the extradition of a Turkish journalist to Turkey. Reported about it Swedish public broadcasting company SVT (you switch to another service).
According to SVT, it is a journalist Bülent from Kenes.
Turkey has demanded the extradition of the man to Turkey because it suspects that he belonged to the so-called Gülen movement and participated in the 2016 coup attempt.
– Of course I’m happy. But the decision was expected, Kenes tells SVT.
Kenes was the editor-in-chief of the English-language magazine Today’s Zaman, which was shut down after the failed coup attempt.
The Supreme Court says in the press release published today that there are several obstacles to extradition. They include, among other things, the fact that the requirement of double criminality is not met, says the judge Petter Asp in the bulletin (you will switch to another service).
Double criminality refers to the requirement that an act is defined as a crime both where it is intended to be punished and where the act in question is committed.
The Supreme Court also says that Kenes has previously been granted refugee status, as his political opinions pose a danger to him in Turkey.
– There is a risk that he will be persecuted because of his political opinions. For this reason, extradition is not possible, says judge Asp in the press release.
Asp was one of the Supreme Court judges who was making the decision.
During Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership application processes, Turkey has demanded, especially from Sweden, the return of dozens of Kurds it considers terrorists to Turkey in recent months.
The Supreme Court’s statement means that the Swedish government, which makes the final decision in the matter, cannot agree to the extradition request, the court states in the press release.
Source: AFP