Kurdish politician Cemal Deniz was arrested while traveling from Germany to Denmark on July 14. Deniz is accused of being an administrator within the PKK and Turkey demands his extradition.
Following an international arrest warrant, Kurdish politician Cemal Deniz was arrested on his arrival from Puttgarden, Germany to Rodbyhamn in Denmark by ferry and subsequently arrested. The arrest by the Danish domestic intelligence and security service PET took place on July 14.
A group of demonstrators yesterday staged a demonstration in front of the Danish Embassy in Stockholm and demanded the release of the Kurdish politician.
Speaking here, Co-chair of the Democratic Kurdish Society Center in Stockholm, Ferah Bozcalı stated that the Turkish state and President Erdıgan have intensified their massacres and attacks against the Kurds within the past six months, and on the other hand are trying to put pressure on the Kurds and opposition circles abroad through Interpol.
Bozcalı stressed that the arrest of Cemal Deniz by the Danish authorities at the request of Turkey was totally unacceptable, saying; “Deniz cannot be extradited to Turkey in line with the United Nations Convention Against Torture as he faces risk of suffering torture in Turkey.”
The demonstrators handed a protest letter to the Danish Embassy as the rally ended amid slogans such as “Murderer Erdogan, hypocrite Denmark”, “Freedom for Cemal Deniz”.
On the official website of the Security Directorate of Turkey, the arrest is celebrated as a great success of Interpol. Cemal Deniz, who is claimed to be holding a leading position in the PKK, has been sought in 192 countries around the world with a "red notice," according to a police statement.
The cooperation between the secret services PET and MIT was also covered in the Danish media.
Most recently, Kurdish female politician and activist Gülizar Taşdemir was extradited to Turkey by Norway on 4 July despite the high risk to her safety due to her political activities. Taşdemir has not been heard from since she was brought to Turkey.
Gülizar Taşdemir's lawyer, Jan M. Birkeland, said that the decision was outrageous. “Despite the well known risk to our client, she was extradited to Turkey. This decision is in violation of both Norwegian and international human rights laws. Despite all our efforts and initiatives, we were not able to stop this decision”.
