[…] In the case of Sweden, which applied to join the alliance in May 2022, there’s a paradox. Turkey has so far vetoed Sweden’s admission, claiming the Scandinavian country doesn’t take Ankara’s security concerns seriously. According to Turkey, Stockholm shelters individuals from terrorist groups, therefore, Turkey has demanded their extradition as a pre-condition for ratifying Swedish membership.
The paradox is precisely here: Sweden would have to trample on its commitment to comply with the rule of law in order for Turkey to green-light its membership. When a decision needs to be made on an extradition request, a legal analysis is carried out within a court – in Sweden’s case, the Swedish Supreme Court. Then, after the Court decides there are no legal barriers to extradition, the government can make the final decision. According to Anne Ramberg, Co-Chair of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, the Swedish Supreme Court has already denied a number of extradition requests from Turkey, and permitted others unrelated to ‘political activism’ or freedom of speech. ‘We do, however, have legislation regarding foreigners that stay in Sweden’, she explains. ‘They can have received asylum, stayed here for many years, and established a family. If the secret police believe the person in question is a security risk to the country, they can be forced to leave the country.’ Läs artikel