‘This approach should be mutual’: human rights activist on extradition of wanted persons to Turkey

Lawyer and human rights activist Hovhannes Khudoyan spoke with Alpha News about the extradition of two individuals involved in organized crime from Armenia to Turkey.

The human rights activist noted that the extradition does not necessarily require the existence of bilateral diplomatic relations.

“In any case, both Armenia and Turkey are parties to the European Convention on Extradition and have certain legal obligations, including certain cooperation within Interpol. Another thing is that this cooperation can be easy or difficult, depending on how much the states are inclined to use simpler tools in relation to each other. In this case, you just need to delve into the circumstances, understand who these people were and what they were wanted for, because in the legal sphere, procedures are possible. As far as I understood from media reports, these individuals were wanted for serious crimes, extortion, assault,” Khudoyan said.

According to Khudoyan, this approach should be mutual.

“The extradition of these individuals implies that this approach should be mutual. If Armenia faces a similar problem, Turkey should respond accordingly,” Hovhannes Khudoyan emphasized.