The extradition of Bulent Kenes is a key demand by Ankara to ratify Stockholm’s NATO membership.
Sweden’s Supreme Court has blocked the extradition of an exiled Turkish journalist, a key demand by Ankara to ratify Stockholm’s NATO membership.
There had been “several hindrances” to sending again former editor-in-chief of the Zaman each day, Bulent Kenes, whom Turkey accuses of being concerned in a 2016 try and topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the courtroom mentioned on Monday.
Some of the accusations towards Kenes aren’t crimes in Sweden, which together with the political nature of the case and his refugee standing within the nation, rendered extradition not possible, the courtroom added.
“There is also a risk of persecution based on this person’s political beliefs. An extradition can thusly not take place,” decide Petter Asp mentioned in an announcement.
As a end result, “the government … is not able to grant the extradition request”.
‘Fabricated’ allegations
Kenes, who now works for the Stockholm Center for Freedom – an association based by different Turkish dissidents in exile – instructed the AFP information company that he was “happy” by the choice and harassed the allegations towards him had been “fabricated by the Erdogan regime”.
The exiled journalist is the one individual Erdogan has recognized by identify amongst dozens of individuals Ankara desires extradited in trade for approving Sweden’s membership bid.
When pressed about “terrorists” he needed extradited from Sweden, Erdogan instructed reporters throughout a joint information convention with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in early November in Ankara that Kenes was on the checklist.
Ankara has blocked Sweden’s membership course of, with the extradition of Kurdish refugees and different Turkish dissidents the principle sticking level.
Stockholm has repeatedly harassed that its judiciary is impartial and has the ultimate say in extraditions.
