A suspect who allegedly attempted to murder Lars Hedegaard, journalist and founder of the International Free Press Society (IFPS), is believed to have been released by the Turkish authorities as part of prisoner swap with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to the suspect’s lawyer.
The man who is alleged to have attempted to assassinate Hedegaard was reportedly released by the Turkish authorities as part of an exchange for 46 Turkish captives being held by ISIL.
On Sept. 20, the terrorist group ISIL released 46 Turkish hostages who had been abducted from the Turkish Consulate General in Mosul in June. Speculation as to why they were freed then occupied the country’s agenda. The Taraf daily claimed last Thursday that 180 key figures from the jihadist group had been traded for the Turkish hostages.
The allegations have been confirmed by the suspect’s Danish lawyer. “I have only spoken to an individual who has been in touch with my client over the phone. I would imagine that even my client would not know why he was released – however the information that we have indicates that radical Islamists in Turkey’s jails have been released in exchange for the freeing of Turkey’s Mosul consulate staff held hostage by ISIL,” he told the Danish press.
Hedegaard is known for his criticisms of Islam and his remarks against Muslims, including statements such as, “Girls in Muslim families are raped by their uncles, their cousins or their fathers.” On Feb. 5, 2013, Hedegaard was the target of an assassination attempt that failed when the attacker’s gun jammed. The suspect fled Denmark after the failed attempt, but he was arrested in İstanbul Atatürk Airport while trying to enter Turkey with a fake passport. Turkey did not return the suspect to Denmark, despite calls from the Danish government.
Turkish ambassador called to Danish Foreign Ministry
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release on Friday saying that Turkey’s ambassador to Denmark had been called to offer an official explanation of the allegations concerning Turkey’s release of the suspect. “The Ministry of Justice has acquired information that the suspect has been released [by the Turkish authorities]. However, the Turkish authorities haven’t commented on this situation. We asked Turkish Foreign Ministry officials to provide an explanation.”
Denmark’s ruling party gave a harsh reaction to the allegations, with spokesperson Trine Bramsen saying that if the claim is verified, it will require serious sanctions against Turkey. “If the claims [about Turkey’s release of the suspect] are true, we are facing a major and grave issue... Someone that must be handed over to Denmark due to his involvement in an assassination attempt should not have been set free,” said Bramsen.
European Council agreement dictates that Turkey hand over suspect
According to the European Convention on Extradition (ECE), Turkey is required to return the suspect to Denmark, a point that was also voiced by Danish academic Jorn Vestergaard in an interview with the Politiken daily in Denmark. “A few years back, Turkey ratified the European Council’s convention on extradition, and because of that they are obligated to extradite to Denmark in cases involving serious crimes. So this current instance could mean that Turkey isn’t living up to international obligations, and those kinds of cases are taken very seriously,” he said.