Kosovo rejects extradition of Turkish citizens

Ankara calls this organisation FETO and considers it terrorist.

At the beginning of the session, Special Prosecutor Ali Rexha said the Turkish government's request was initially incomplete and that there was a lack of evidence. However, he said he has asked Turkey's Embassy to bring new facts, but this has not happened.

I've been looking for relevant material evidence for extradition. Evidence of the Turkish state has not provided us even though I have regularly been contacted every day by email and told that yes, but in the end they have not provided material evidence. Thus, in the absence of evidence the law should function and withdraw requests”, Rexha said.

Prosecutor Rexha said that Kosovo with the state of Turkey has good reports, but in this case must be acted on legal grounds and done based on facts and evidence.

“Normal that if relevant evidence is provided can reopen their” request, Rexha asked if the case could return to court.

The court has accepted the prosecutor's statement and will soon make a decision regarding the case.

“In connection with this [case], the court will make the special decision with which the parties will be informed”, said the case judge, Allten Murseli.

Ugur Toxoy, Turkish national, recently thanked the state of Kosovo.

I really saw justice here. I saw good behaviour with me, despite arbitrary judgments, arbitrary detentions, human rights violations in Turkey. Women with children and children are prisoners in Turkey. I expect Kosovo to be more active in protecting human rights and to be a strong voice for these being done in Turkey”, Toxoy said.

Toxoy had been arrested on October 28th and had been held several days in custody before being released on bail.

Ugur Toxoy, who lives with his family in Kosovo for 10 years and has worked as co-ordinator of the Atmosphera Education Foundation at the Prizren branch, which provides educational and cultural services for young people.

In the past three years, he has not visited Turkey. Toxoy's lawyer says there is no evidence that his client is linked to the movement of Turkish religious leader Fetullah Gulen, whom Turkish authorities accuse of standing behind the failure coup of 2016.

The Atmosphere Foundation has said it has nothing to do with Gulen Movement, adding that they have organised promotion of his books. Kosovo's Human Rights Council says this is a politically motivated case.