An Athens appeal council has rejected an extradition request by Turkish authorities for eight Turkish army servicemen that fled to Greece and requested political asylum in the wake of a foiled coup attempt in the neighoring country in July 2016.
The unanimous decision cites the fact that the eight men are at risk of not receiving a fair trial in Turkey, and also face the possibility of torture and humiliating conditions while incarcerated in Turkish jails.
A prosecutor had earlier recommended against the eight Turkish officers’ and NCOs’ extradition, saying no new evidence was submitted by Turkish judicial authorities.
Two witnesses for the asylum seekers testified and offered documentation showing the mass layoffs, in the hundreds of thousands, as well as persecutions of Turkish jurists, civil servants and academics on unproven charges of participating in the Gulen movement, which the Erdogan-dominated government in Ankara blames for the coup attempt.
Additionally, two attorneys for the men said a leaked video in Turkey a day earlier, showing three out of the eight men leaving an army base as the coup unfolded, offers no proof of their culpability.
The video was not discussed by the justices, given that it was not entered as evidence in the case file.
A first reaction by Turkish media vilified the decision.
