Africa-Press – Mozambique. A Turkish national detained in Mozambique in connection with an extradition request will respond to the case at liberty, following a decision by the Maputo Judicial Court, his lawyer said on Thursday.
According to defence lawyer Uriel Minete, the court ordered the release of Emre Çınar under a Statement of Identity and Residence.
“He is now free under a “termo de identidade e residência,’,” Minete said after a court session held to assess the legality of the detention.
The lawyer explained that the extradition proceedings initiated by the Turkish government remain ongoing and will continue to follow legal procedures, with Mozambique’s Supreme Court responsible for ruling on extradition matters.
“The session we attended this afternoon had the sole purpose of determining the relevance of the detention — whether or not the legal requirements for it had been met,” Minete said.
Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) announced on Wednesday that it had detained the Turkish citizen in execution of an arrest warrant issued by Mozambican authorities as part of an extradition request submitted by Turkey.
In a statement sent to the media, SERNIC stressed that the arrest was carried out in strict compliance with legal formalities and did not constitute an act of kidnapping or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, as had been alleged in some media outlets and online platforms.
Last Friday, another lawyer representing Emre Çınar had complained of what he described as a “total blockage” in gaining access to his client. He said the family had been informed that the Turkish national was being held at the preventive detention facility in Maputo Province after spending several hours at the Office of the Attorney-General of Mozambique (PGR) seeking information about the case.
