Swedish government upholds extradition of PKK supporter to Türkiye

The Swedish government has approved the extradition of a PKK supporter to Türkiye.

According to SVT Nyheter, the extradition decision was made at an extraordinary government meeting today.

"On June 12, 2023, the government decided to extradite a 35-year-old Turkish national sentenced to four years and seven months in prison by a Turkish court in 2013 for drug-related offences in Türkiye," the head of the central authority in the Ministry of Justice said.

The man was convicted in 2013 for carrying a bag containing 1.8kg of marijuana. After serving just under six months of his sentence, he was released on parole, left Türkiye legally, and then moved to Sweden and obtained a work permit.

This would be the first extradition of a PKK supporter to Türkiye since the Swedish NATO process began.