The Swedish government will not extradite four people sought by Turkey, which claims they are linked to a U.S.-based cleric accused of being behind a 2016 coup attempt, according to the Swedish news agency TT, without citing sources.
The extradition requests were made in 2019 and 2020, before Sweden and Finland signed a three-way agreement with Turkey to address Ankara’s concerns about the two Nordic countries joining NATO.
According to TT, Sweden’s High Court ruled last summer that the four could not be extradited, leaving the government no choice but to follow its decision.
The Foreign Ministry of Sweden could not immediately comment on the report.
A separate decision by the High Court in December to block the extradition of Turkish journalist Bulent Kenes was described as a ‘very negative’ development by Turkey.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had singled out Kenes as a person Ankara wanted extradited from Sweden in exchange for Ankara’s approval for Stockholm’s membership in NATO.
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