‘The news of the extradition of Chichek and Yildirim to Turkey is absurd’: Lawyer defending their interests in Armenia

Atilla Chichek and Huseyin Yildirim, who are Kurdish nationals, are facing absurd news regarding their extradition to Turkey, according to Davit Gasparyan, the lawyer who defended their interests during the judicial process in Armenia. In a conversation with Sputnik Armenia, the lawyer noted that his Kurdish clients have even stated in court what they expect to face if they find themselves in Turkey.

“They had also mentioned in court that they are being persecuted and are subject to pressure from the Turkish Republic. They had reported in court that Turkey does not accept them, that they are oppressed, and that they belong to a people who have suffered persecution. Therefore, I find this absurd and doubt that Armenia, which considers the Kurdish people as friends, would have handed them over, as we all understand what would happen in that case,” said Gasparyan.

The lawyer also revealed that Atilla Chichek and Huseyin Yildirim were released from custody in February 2022, according to a court decision, and have been effectively free since then. “If you look at the court’s decision, it states to partially satisfy the request and release them from the courtroom. In other words, they have been free since February 2022,” Gasparyan noted.

Regarding the partial satisfaction of the ruling, the lawyer clarified that he had also presented a request for acquittal to the court, but it had been denied, effectively only accepting the request not to apply the punishment conditionally. According to the court case, Atilla Chichek and Huseyin Yildirim were arrested on August 16, 2021, after illegally crossing into Armenia from Iran via the Araks River in the Syunik Province.

In addition to illegally crossing the state border, they were also charged with the smuggling of weapons and ammunition, as they were found in possession of 2 assault rifles, 1 pistol, 318 cartridges, and 4 grenades at the time. Following months of trial, legally enforceable sentences were issued, with Huseyin Yildirim receiving a 5-year prison sentence and the confiscation of 3 million Iranian rials, while Atilla Chichek was sentenced to 5 years in prison and the confiscation of $5,700. It was also decided not to apply the punishment conditionally, establishing a probation period of 3 years, resulting in Yildirim and Chichek being released from court.

Regarding the reports that his former clients ended up in Turkey, Davit Gasparyan learned about this from the media and is unsure how such a situation could have occurred. “I do not have information that they were extradited. These individuals were free, they had the right to move freely within the territory of Armenia. It is possible that they crossed the border willingly and ended up in that situation. They may have crossed into Turkey illegally just as they entered Armenia,” Gasparyan speculated, noting that this is merely his assumption.