Success in Aykol Case

Head of Extradition at Tuckers’, Renata Pinter represented Miss Akyol, a British citizen in respect of extradition request from Turkey. The Government of the Republic of Turkey sought Miss Akyol’s r extradition to serve a sentence of 3 years 6 months and 20 days(having been held in custody for 2 months and 10 days) following her conviction for aiding and abetting the PKK an illegal terrorist organisation in 1999.

On 1st July 1999 the PKK murdered four members of the public and a police officer at a cafe in Elazig, Turkey. This was a gun attack carried out by two females, who were themselves shot dead. The prosecution say Miss Akyol, a local hairdresser at the time and a PKK sympathiser, had agreed to assist those who were to carry out the murders by disguising their appearance and providing a safe house for them to hide after the attack. Miss Akyol was arrested on 12th October 1999. On 21 December 1999 Miss Akyol appeared before the 2nd State Security Court of Malatya, denied the allegations and her release was ordered.

Miss Akyol came to the UK in 2001 believing that her matter was concluded. On 26th March 2002 a Judgment in absence imposing 3 years and 9 months was imposed. This judgment was re-examined on 27th december 2005 by Malatya 3rd Heavy Penalty Court and sentence was upheld. The international arrest warrant was issued on 23rd December 2012 and Miss Akyol was arrested at her home address in January 2012. At the extradition hearing we challenged the extradition on the basis of passage of time, human rights breaches namely inadequate retrial procedures to deal with allegedly tortured confession evidence, Article 6 ECHR and prison conditions in Turkey- Article 3 ECHR. On 18th September 2012 the District Judge at westminster Magistrates’ Court ordered Miss Akyol’s discharge on the basis that it would be oppressive by reason of passage of time to order her extradition. CPS acting on behalf of the Turkish Government have decided not to pursue an appeal.