A first in Sweden: PKK member sentenced to prison

The 40-year-old man, who is on trial for collecting taxes from the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in Sweden, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and will be extradited to Turkey after serving his sentence.

The Stockholm District Court announced that this person was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for “financing terrorism”, “extortion attempt” and “armed attack”. In the statement, it was stated that the suspect, who collected tributes for the terrorist organization, will be extradited to Turkey after serving his sentence.

Thus, for the first time in the country, a person who collected tributes on behalf of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization was sentenced to prison.

Prosecutor Hans Ihrman, who prepared the indictment, said: “The PKK is accused of collecting money through blackmail in Sweden. It is part of larger activities that have long been carried out in an organized manner. There is strong evidence that the suspect was acting on behalf of the PKK. Prosecutor Ihrman demanded a five-year prison sentence for the defendant and demanded that he be extradited to Turkey.

On state television SVT news, it was reported that the defendant was arrested in January after he demanded extortion of the restaurant from the PKK terrorist organization by threatening him with a gun. According to the report of the Swedish Intelligence Service SEPO, the convicted person is one of the important figures of the PKK terrorist organization in the country.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, in a statement to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper in April, cited the PKK/YPG terrorist organization as the reason Turkey disapproves of Sweden’s NATO membership. Billström had used the phrase “the activities of the PKK in our lands are very extensive”. (AA)