UK High Court Refuses Turkey Extradition Due to Overcrowded Prisons

The high court in London has refused to return an absconding British prisoner to Turkey on the grounds that the country’s jails are so overcrowded they are unsafe following the 2016 attempted coup. The decision – the latest in a series of extradition setbacks inflicted by British judges – is diplomatically embarrassing for a fellow member of Nato and sets a significant legal precedent. The latest ruling follows a direct request made during a visit last year by the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, to Theresa May. He sought the extradition of fugitive businessmen and activists living in Britain who were allegedly involved in the 2016 failed military coup in Ankara and Istanbul, which the Turkish government estimates involved 60,000 conspirators.  That plea received a muted response from Downing Street, which told Yıldırım that action would only be taken if there was credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing by an individual in the UK.

Read more: Owen Bowcott, Guardian, https://is.gd/u5QFai