Sweden’s top court on Monday rejected an extradition request for a man wanted by Turkey, saying the Scandinavian country does not criminalize the act he is accused of committing.
In a statement, the Swedish Supreme Court said there were “obstacles to extradition because it deals with so-called political crimes, that is, crimes that are directed against the state and are of a political nature.”
The Stockholm court said there was a “risk of persecution based on the person’s political views” if returned to Turkey.
The court did not name the man who was the subject of Turkey’s request. Swedish news agency TT identified him as Bulent Kenes and said he is wanted by the Turkish government in connection with a 2016 coup attempt.
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Kenes, 55, who has asylum in Sweden, was the editor of the English-language newspaper Today’s Zaman, owned by a network linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. He was shut down as part of the government’s crackdown on the group. Turkey blames Gulen for the failed coup and lists his network as a terrorist organization.
Turkey has delayed applications by Sweden and Finland to join NATO over what it said was their inadequate response to groups it views as terrorist organizations, including an alleged lack of cooperation on extraditions.
When Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing policies of military non-alignment and applied to join the Western military alliance in May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would not approve. He accused the two Nordic countries of turning a blind eye to terrorism.
Any decision on NATO enlargement requires the unanimous approval of the alliance members.
Turkish exiled journalist Bulent Kenes is seen in Stockholm, December 19, 2022. Sweden’s supreme court has rejected an extradition request for Kenes, who is wanted by Turkey, saying the Scandinavian country does not criminalize the act of which he was accused. accused of committing
(Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)
Erdogan singled out Kenes last month during a joint press conference with the Swedish prime minister in Ankara.
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“There is a member of the terrorist organization (Gulen) in Sweden, whose name I will give: Bulent Kenes,” Erdogan said. “For example, the deportation of this terrorist to Turkey is of great importance to us and of course we want Sweden to act more sensitively (on the issue).”
Kenes welcomed Monday’s court decision but insisted he should not be considered a suspect.
“I’m happy of course. But the decision was expected,” Kenes told Swedish broadcaster SVT. “I am not completely satisfied because they say that I am suspected of crimes in Turkey. I have not committed any crimes at all. These accusations are completely fabricated by the Erdogan regime.”
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“Unfortunately, I expect bad things from Erdogan and his regime. They will continue to try to abuse the legal system,” Kenes was quoted as saying by SVT.
There was no immediate reaction from Turkish officials.
Earlier this month, Sweden deported an unidentified man who fled there after being convicted by a Turkish court of belonging to an armed organization in 2015. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency identified the man as Mahmut Tat , who had been sentenced to more than six years in prison. prison.
