Greece's supreme court on Thursday ruled against an extradition request by Turkish authorities for eight Turkish servicemen that fled to Greece last July and subsequently requested political asylum, all in the wake of a failed coup in the neighboring country.
The final decision by Greece's judiciary comes after lower appellate-level councils issued mixed decisions, two ruling against the request for a total of six Turkish nationals, and one ruling in favor for two of the eight.
Three separate high court prosecutors had recommended against the extradition, given that although the case involves all eight, three different compositions of judge' councils were ordered.
Risks for the servicemen's welfare in case they are returned to Turkey and the looming prospect of a reinstitution of the death penalty by the Erdogan-led government were cited by the prosecutors, along with concerns over a fair trial.
The high court justices did not touch on the substance of allegations conveyed by Turkish prosecutors, namely, efforts to overthrow the legal government in Turkey.
