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Greek court rules against new extradition request for last Turkish soldiers

Xinhua, May 4, 2017 Adjust font size:

A Greek court of appeals on Thursday rejected the Turkish authorities' request for the extradition of the last two of the eight Turkish military officers that illegally entered Greece using a Turkish military helicopter in July 2016, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

The court ruled that the two officers will not be extradited and ordered their release. A court has already ruled against the extradition of the other six Turkish officials.

All soldiers remain held at the Athens Olympic Village police station for months, awaiting the decision on the asylum requests they made when they fled to Greece a day after the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

Ankara has requested the extradition of all eight officers so that they can be tried before a Turkish court.

Greece's Supreme Court dismissed the request in January but two weeks later,the Turkish authorities submitted a new extradition request which included supplementary charges of damage of public property.

All defendants have insisted on their innocence, expressing fear for their safety, should they be returned to Turkey.

During Thursday's hearing, Greek prosecutor Yorgos Voulgaris expressed surprise over Ankara's insistence with a second extradition request after the Supreme Court's verdict, according to AMNA.

"The reasons for turning down the request have not changed," he said. Endit