The Swedish Supreme Court has overturned a decision to extradite to Türkiye a man who was found guilty of racketeering for the PKK terror group.

Despite Wednesday's decision reversal, the court approved jail time of four-and-a-half years for attempting to finance terrorism, attempted extortion, and firearms offence for the 40-year-old terrorist sympathiser, who was convicted this July – the first such conviction in Sweden.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hans Ihrman underscored that detectives had verified 11 occasions when the man worked with a high-ranking PKK member in Stockholm to extort money from restaurants and wholesalers.

Furthermore, Mans Wigen, chief councillor of the Stockholm district court, said the investigation showed a clear connection between the terror group PKK and the defendant.

In its almost 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terror organisation by Türkiye, the US, the UK and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Sweden applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched an offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.

Türkiye has said Stockholm must crack down on terrorists and Islamophobic provocations on its soil to gain NATO membership.

Sweden has proposed a new anti-terrorist law, effective June 1, for its membership bid. Still, Turkish officials say the law must be implemented, and Türkiye’s parliament will have the final say this fall.