Marco Grimaldi, Deputy Chair of the Greens and Left Parliamentary Group, strongly condemned the decision to extradite Kurdish politician Mehmet Çakas to Turkey. Calling the extradition “a betrayal of peace,” Grimaldi urged the Italian government to immediately restart the asylum procedure and prevent the extradition.
On August 28, Germany decided to extradite Mehmet Çakas to Turkey. Although Çakas committed no crime in Germany, he was convicted on charges of “PKK membership” and is currently being held in Uelzen Prison. If sent to Turkey, he is expected to face an aggravated life sentence.
The extradition of Mehmet Çakas has once again brought the issue of pressure on Kurdish politicians in Europe to the forefront, with growing expectations in Italy for diplomatic intervention on the matter.
Extradition is a betrayal of human rights and Italy’s commitments
Speaking in the Italian Parliament, Grimaldi addressed Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani saying: “I call on Tajani to address the situation of Kurdish political prisoner Mehmet Çakas, who, despite committing no crime in Germany, has been convicted of ‘PKK membership.’ He is now facing extradition to Turkey and the prospect of an aggravated life sentence there. This is both a violation of human rights and a betrayal of Italy’s commitment not to hand him over to a third country.”
Referring to Abdullah Öcalan’s ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’, Grimaldi said: “While Abdullah Öcalan is making a historic call from Imrali Prison for disarmament and democratic dialogue, Germany chooses repression. Italy cannot remain silent; it must restart the asylum procedure and block this extradition. The solution to the Kurdish question is not prison but a peace process. Defending Mehmet means defending democracy.”
Italian Democratic Lawyers Association called for urgent action
The Italian Democratic Lawyers Association (Giuristi Democratici) also published a statement on its website titled “Urgent Mobilization Against the Extradition of Mehmet Çakas to Turkey.” The statement read: “We call on civil society, legal professionals, and defenders of civil and social rights to act: Let us ensure that Mehmet Çakas — who is still detained in Uelzen Prison and has applied for international protection in our country, a process whose outcome is still pending — is granted the right to such protection.”
Source: ANF News
