Sweden’s Supreme Court rejects request for extradition of journalist wanted by Turkey
Sweden’s highest 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 Supreme Court said there are “barriers to extradition because it is a question of so-called political crimes, that is, crimes that are directed against the state and that are of a political nature.”
The court in Stockholm said there is a “risk of persecution based on the person’s political views” if he were to be 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 the Turkish government wanted him in connection with a 2016 coup attempt.
4 CHIMPANS TERMINATED AFTER ESCAPE FROM SWEDISH ZOO
Kenes, 55, who has asylum in Sweden, was the editor of the English-language newspaper Today’s Zaman, which was owned by a network linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. It was shut down as part of a government crackdown on the group. Turkey blames Gulen for the failed coup and lists his network as a terrorist organization.
Turkey has put Sweden’s and Finland’s requests to join NATO on hold because of what it claimed was their inadequate response to groups it considers terrorist organizations, including an alleged lack of cooperation on extradition.
When Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing policy 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 them. He accused the two Nordic countries of turning a blind eye to terrorism.
Any decision on NATO expansion requires unanimous approval by the alliance members.
Exiled Turkish journalist Bulent Kenes is seen in Stockholm on December 19, 2022. Sweden’s highest court has rejected an extradition request for Kenes, who is wanted by Turkey, saying the Scandinavian country does not criminalize the act he is 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.
SWEDEN FINDS TRACE OF EXPLOSIVES NEAR DAMAGED NORTH STREAM PIPELINE: ‘GROSS SABOTAGE’
“There is a member of the (Yellow) terrorist organization 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 we naturally want Sweden to act with more sensitivity (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,” says Kenes to SVT. “I am not completely satisfied because they say I am suspected of crimes in Turkey. I have committed no crime at all. These accusations are completely fabricated by Erdogan’s regime.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Unfortunately, I expect bad things from Erdogan and his regime. They will continue to try to abuse the legal system,” SVT quoted Kenes as saying.
There was no immediate reaction from Turkish officials.
Earlier this month, Sweden deported an unnamed man who fled there after being convicted by a Turkish court of membership in 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.