Turkish National Julide Yazici Appeals Detention Order, Seeks House Arrest During Extradition Proceedings

The Tirana Court ruled a day earlier that 32-year-old Turkish national Julide Yazici must remain in prison pending extradition. The Turkish-born teacher was detained at Rinas Airport a few days ago after Interpol Ankara placed her on the international wanted list.

Yazici was sentenced by a Turkish court to four years in prison on charges of “providing logistical assistance to a terrorist organization” and “participation in a terrorist organization.” Of her full sentence, she still has three years, five months and 22 days left to serve.

Sources say the 32-year-old will file an appeal with the Court of Appeal on Monday, seeking to have the “pretrial detention” order replaced with “house arrest.”

It is also reported that she has been visited in her cell by representatives of the Albanian Helsinki Committee.

During the court hearing, Julide Yazici’s defense lawyer requested a more lenient security measure, specifically “house arrest.” Speaking through an interpreter, Yazici explained that the proceedings against her began about ten years ago and that she has been living and working as a teacher in France for the past eight years.

She stressed that she had previously traveled to Albania without encountering any obstacles and pleaded with the court not to keep her behind bars during the extradition proceedings.

However, the court decided to grant the Prosecution’s request for “pretrial detention.” According to the written ruling, she was arrested by Judicial Police officers at the Rinas Police Station after her name appeared on the international wanted list.

In its reasoning, the court cited the Code of Criminal Procedure, the European Convention on Extradition and Albanian legislation governing jurisdictional relations with foreign states.

The judicial panel found that an international arrest warrant exists, the purpose of the extradition is clearly defined, and Albania and Turkey have a reciprocal extradition agreement.

Meanwhile, Julide Yazici is expected to formally appeal the ruling on Monday, seeking to have the security measure changed to “house arrest.”