DİYARBAKIR - Lawyer Abdullah Deveci, who said that Sweden committed a crime by extraditing his client Mahmut Tat to Turkey, stated that his client was extradited because he was Kurdish and as a result of NATO negotiations.

 

Kurdish refugee Mahmut Tat, who was sentenced to 6 years and 10 months in prison for "being a member of the PKK" in 2015 in Dersim and who sought asylum in Sweden, was detained on November 22 and extradited to Turkey on December 2. Tat's lawyer, Abdullah Deveci, said that the Swedish state committed a crime by extraditing an immigrant who took refuge in it.

 

'WHAT SWEDEN DID IS A CRIME'

 

Explaining that Tat was detained in Sweden for 10 days and that they were informed of his situation very late, Deveci said that his file did not have a legal dimension, and that his extradition was provided purely through political relations. Stating that Swedish institutions, intelligence and courts acted in a "theatrical" manner, Deveci said, "Because I said that it was a purely political file in a courtroom, the file was taken away from me. They gave it to another lawyer in 2020. I have been tring to take back advocacy rights for the file again for the last couple of days, but the file was not given to me. The Swedish Immigration Service and the court rejected Tat's application because the Tat is accused of in Turkey is a reasonable crime and there is no torture in Turkey. After the rejection, the person has to return to Turkey. Since he could not return, the Swedish police forcefully arrested him and extradited him to Turkey. All the international refugee treaties that Sweden has signed, even if a person is guilty in a country where torture is committed, an innocent person cannot be sent away according to the law. It is now a crime in Sweden. The Swedish state has committed a crime against refugee law and international agreements."

 

'IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH NATO NEGOTIATIONS'

 

Stating that this extradition is directly related to NATO negotiations, Deveci pointed out that one of the reasons for the talks between Turkish and Swedish intelligence services for the last two years is Kurdish refugees. Emphasizing that the reasons for the talks were directly related to the handing over of people like Mahmut Tat, Deveci said, “Despite all the laws, media and threats, Sweden's bravery and sending it to a state where war crimes are committed in a country where there is a war depends entirely on this agreement. The Swedish state, despite the threats, despite the risk of international court, daring to send the refugees in this way is an indication of the the fact that this attitude will continue. If Swedish intellectuals, journalists, democrats and the public take a stand against this, these extraditions will continue."

 

'IT'S A SHAME FOR SWEDEN'

 

Stating that Sweden has left a frightening image in the field of democracy in the world, Deveci emphasized that the Swedish state is in a position to sell Kurdish refugees by making an agreement with the Turkish state at the intelligence level. Reminding that Swedish democracy has defined itself as a neutral state since 1700, Deveci continued: “It is shameful and a crime for Sweden to come to an agreement by making concessions in terms of democracy by being so frivolous, unconscious and inferior. It is shameful for such a so-called democratic state to compromise with a country that commits war crimes and sell weapons and refugees.”

 

Deveci also underlined that he was not able to see his client after the was extradited to Turkey and that the fact that he was brought here in handcuffs like a criminal is degrading as well as being torture.