Greek court: Turkish coup accused must stay in custody

By Idyli Tsakiri

ATHENS, Greece (AA) - Eight former Turkish soldiers allegedly involved in the country’s defeated July 2016 coup attempt will continue to be held in Greek custody, a local court ruled on Wednesday.

The Administrative Court decided to keep the men in custody, despite an earlier Supreme Court ruling deciding against their extradition to Turkey last week, Greek daily Kathimerini reported.

The chairman of the Administrative Court ruled in favor of their detention until their asylum requests are processed, the newspaper reported.

Defending lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

Another Greek newspaper, Proto Thema, reported the men’s detention will last at least three more months, adding that administrative judges based their decision on “public order and national security” reasons.

The former military personnel fled Turkey a few hours after the July 15, 2016 attempt to overthrow the Turkish government. The plot martyred at least 248 people and left more than 2,100 injured.

They arrived in Greece on a hijacked Black Hawk helicopter and requested asylum, claiming that their lives were in danger in Turkey.

After a series of appealed court decisions, the Greek Supreme Court ruled against their extradition last week. This decision was final and can only be appealed at the European Court of Justice.

However, Turkey continues to demand their return, promising to provide fair trials.