UPDATE - Sweden to extradite man wanted by Türkiye for fraud

ADDS FURTHER DETAILS

By Atila Altuntas

STOCKHOLM (AA) - Sweden’s Supreme Court has decided to extradite a man wanted by Türkiye for fraud, the country's state-run broadcaster said Thursday.

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson described the decision as a “routine matter,” SVT reported.

“The request for extradition was received last year. The Supreme Court has examined the issue as usual and concluded that there are no obstacles to extradition to serve his sentence," said Johansson.

The man, 35, was convicted of fraud offenses by Türkiye's Supreme Court in 2013 and 2016 and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

The Turkish citizen, who applied for asylum in Sweden in 2011, allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity and changed his name to Johan Gustavsson to avoid extradition.

Later on Thursday, the Samnytt newspaper published online in Sweden reported that the name of the person Sweden is preparing to extradite to Türkiye was Okan Kale.

Kale sought asylum in Sweden in 2011 after being accused of credit card fraud against three banks in Türkiye, but his request was denied.

In 2014, he was granted refugee status in Italy.

Kale received a temporary refugee residence card for two years in Italy. He then came to Sweden in 2016 and married a Swedish woman who is 23 years older than him.

He got a residence and work permit in Sweden thanks to this marriage.

In October 2021, Ankara came into contact with the Swedish authorities through Interpol. Kale was arrested and imprisoned on the same date.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz