Prosecutor’s Office Addresses Court to Extradite Cabuk
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, February 6
(TBILISI)--Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office has addressed the Tbilisi City Court to extradite Turkish National Mustafa Emre Cabuk, who had been detained for terrorist activities through the request of the Turkish authorities.
Cabuk, who denies any links with terrorists, had asked for refugee status in Georgia. However, neither the country’s Refugee Ministry nor City and Appellate Courts satisfied his request, stating it was not grounded.
Cabuk admitted he liked the view of Fethullah Gulen, of the man accused of 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. However, he said the attitude does not mean that he is a terrorist.
Cabuk’s lawyer Soso Baratashvili says that the Tbilisi City Court is likely to accept the extradition as the case is “politically motivated.”
However, he added if the court provides verdict against Cabuk, they will appeal the decision to upper instances.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association plans to address the court to support Cabuk, who has lived in Georgia since 2002 and served as the quality manager of Demirel private college.
The NGO says that the country has “no genuine evidence” to extradite the man who may face rough violation of his rights in his homeland.
Cabuk was detained on May 24, 2017 after the official visit of Turkish Prime Minister and members of Cabinet to Georgia.
A number of NGOs and the opposition parties, shortly after the detention, called on the government of Georgia not to extradite Cabuk.
Cabuk is charged of having links to the FETO organization, registered in the United States and associated with Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating a military coup attempt in Turkey on 15 July, 2016.
Georgia’s former Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili addressed the Refugee Ministry to grant the refugee status to Cabuk that would enable his stay in Georgia.
However, the Refugee Ministry claims Cabuk failed to provide argumentation necessary for receiving the status.
The leading NGOs in the country have addressed President Giorgi Margvelashvili to grant the Georgian citizenship to Cabuk.
