Zarakolu, who was charged with “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization” for a speech he made at a Political Academy seminar organized by the now-defunct Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in 2011, was jailed pending trial between October 2011 and April 2012. The “competent with Article 10 of Code on Fighting Against Terrorism” which initially scrutinize the case was abrogated in 2014. Subsequently, the case file was transferred to the Istanbul 3rd High Criminal Court.

The court filed a request for an Interpol red notice against Zarakolu, seeking his provisional arrest for extradition to Turkey because he had not given his defense statement yet. On 7 February the court ruled to keep the arrest warrant, red notice application and a formal request for Zarakolu’s extradition from Sweden in place and adjourned the trial until 30 November.

Sweden’s High Court has rejected Turkey’s request for the extradition of journalist and publisher Ragip Zarakolu (21 December).

At the hearing held on December 24, the court has ordered the confiscation of a part of Zarakolu’s assets to ensure his coming to the hearing. The court adjourned the hearing until 14 May 2020 (25 December).