An Albanian court has ordered pretrial detention for Julide Yazici, a 32-year-old Turkish activist wanted by Ankara and granted political asylum in France. In court, she challenged the official version of the Turkish authorities and said she is being punished for her political beliefs.
Arrest after border check
According to information presented at the hearing, Yazici was identified during a border check as a person wanted by the Turkish authorities. Ankara accuses her of providing logistical support to a terrorist organization and participation in a terrorist organization.
The case is linked to Kurdish protests against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held several years ago. The official Turkish version links the 32-year-old to those demonstrations and to youth structures of a Kurdish communist party.
What the Turkish authorities claim
The case file referred to in court states that, while she was a student, the young woman took part in protests and that during searches of a rented apartment in Istanbul, evidence was found that, according to the Turkish judiciary, implicates her.
Among the elements mentioned in the file are seized packages, as well as fingerprints on a vehicle that, according to the Turkish authorities, had transported improvised bombs to a demonstration. In this case, Yazici was sentenced in absentia to four years in prison.
Security measure in Albania
The Albanian court decided to keep the 32-year-old in prison, accepting the request of prosecutor Francesk Ganaj. According to the prosecution, pretrial detention should be imposed in accordance with Albanian laws in force and on the basis of the acts of the extradition procedure.
At this stage, the decision does not resolve the substance of the parties’ claims, but keeps the young woman in a cell while the case continues within the framework of the request submitted by Turkey.
Claim of political persecution and France’s role
Before the judge, Yazici said she is being politically persecuted because of the protests against Erdogan. She said that if she is handed over to Turkey, her life would be at risk.
Her lawyers took the same position, opposing the criminal narrative put forward by Ankara. It was also made known that the French authorities will be notified, since the 32-year-old enjoys political protection in France.
The case opens another sensitive issue for the Albanian courts, caught between extradition requests and claims of political persecution.
The very fact that the detainee has asylum in a European Union member state makes the process even more delicate, beyond the criminal version presented by Ankara.