The Tirana Court a day ago set the security measure "prison arrest" with the aim of extradition for Turkish citizen Julide Yazici, 32. The teacher originally from Turkey was detained a few days ago at Rinas airport, after she turned out to be a person declared internationally wanted by Interpol Ankara.

We recall that Yazici was sentenced by the Turkish judiciary to 4 years in prison for the criminal offenses of "providing logistical assistance to a terrorist organization" and "participation in a terrorist organization."

From this sentence, the 32-year-old has 3 years, 5 months and 22 days left in prison. Meanwhile, it is learned that on Monday Julide Yazici will submit her appeal to the Appeals Office, while requesting a security measure of house arrest. It is also learned that in prison, the Turkish citizen was contacted by the Helsinki Committee.

The defense requested house arrest.

At the hearing, Yazic's defense requested a milder security measure, specifically "house arrest."

The 32-year-old herself, through a translator, stated that the case against her had begun about ten years ago and that she has been living and working as a teacher in France for eight years.

She argued that she had previously traveled to Albania without any problems and requested not to be held in prison during the extradition proceedings.

The court, however, accepted the Prosecution's request to impose the measure of "prison arrest".

According to the decision, the arrest was carried out by the Judicial Police services at the Rinas Police Station, as Yazic's name was on an international wanted list.

Extradition to Turkey

In its decision, the court refers to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, the European Convention on Extradition and Albanian legislation on jurisdictional relations with foreign authorities.

The court assesses that there is an international arrest warrant, that it specifies the purpose of the extradition, and that there is an extradition agreement between Albania and Turkey.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Yazici is expected to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal, requesting the replacement of the security measure of "prison arrest" with "house arrest."

It is also learned that during her stay in prison, the Turkish citizen was contacted by representatives of the Albanian Helsinki Committee.

DECISION

"On the validation of the arrest and the imposition of a personal security measure, the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Tirana, composed of: JUDGE-KUJTIM VRANIÇI Assisted by judicial secretary Marjana Xhamallati, in Tirana on 07.08.2026. ended the judicial review of the criminal request, which concerns:

APPLICANT: The Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of Tirana, represented by the prosecutor of the case. Mr. Françesk Ganaj. AGAINST: WITH OBJECTION: Turkish citizens Julide Yazici, daughter of Serif and Birgul, born on 24.08.1994. born in Izmit Koaceli. Turkey and resident in France, with address "38 Place Rabelais 37000 Tours", with Turkish citizenship. with higher education. with teaching profession. with single civil status. self-declared unconvicted. represented/defended with a statement in the court session by the lawyer. Artan Shllaku, Member of the Tirana Bar Association, with No. 3289 License and NId M 52430001 H. and participation of the Turkish language translator. Mr. Kujtim Qershori. Licensed by the Ministry of Justice of Tirana. - Legal validation of the temporary arrest of citizen Julide Yazici, for the purpose of extradition, carried out by the judicial police - Assignment of a coercive personal security measure for the purpose of extradition of citizen Julide Yazici to the Turkish state.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 228. 229. 232. 238. 251. 252. 258. 259. 493. 494. 495 of the Code of Criminal Procedure: European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. ratified by Law No. 9871. dated 11.2.2008 (entered into force on 1.8.2011). Article 31 et seq. of Law no. 10193. dated 3.12.2009 “On Jurisdictional Relations with Foreign Authorities in Criminal Matters” 1 The Court, after hearing the parties, as well as after reviewing the acts brought by the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Tirana, in charge of the foreign citizen (Turkish) Julide Yazici, at the conclusion of the judicial review of the case, the parties requested: Representative of the Prosecutor's Office: The legal validation of the temporary arrest for extradition purposes against the citizen Julide Yazici.

The assignment to citizen Julide Yazici of the personal security measure "Arrest in prison", provided for by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, for the purposes of extradition to the Republic of Turkey.

The defense of the foreign citizen Julide Yazici, Av. Artan Shllaku, stated that: To validate the arrest as lawful but in relation to the request of the Tirana Prosecutor's Office for the assignment of a security/coercive measure for the citizen Julide Yazici in extradition proceedings, to assign the coercive measure "House arrest". provided for by Article 237 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Foreign citizen Julide Yazici, through a Turkish translator, stated: I agree with my lawyer and I want to add that this case was opened ten years ago and I have been a resident in France for eight years, and that I have not had an arrest warrant, this is because I came to Albania a year ago and stayed for two weeks and this time I came for vacation, I am requesting a milder measure, that of house arrest, and I should not be arrested, since I have been working as a teacher in France for eight years. NOTES The Procedure That, the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of Tirana, through the accompanying letter No. 20836 Prot, dated 06.08.2026, has submitted for review to this court the criminal request with the subject: "Validation as lawful of the provisional arrest and the imposition of a coercive personal security measure for extradition purposes, against the citizen Julide Serif Yazici", who has been declared internationally wanted (red card) after the Istanbul Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes, with decision No. 2016/122 ESAS-2017/175 KARAR, dated 08.11.2025, sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months of imprisonment (3 years, 5 months and 22 days of imprisonment remaining to be served), for the criminal offenses, “Providing logistical assistance to a terrorist organization” and “Participation in a terrorist organization”, provided for by the relevant provisions of the Turkish Criminal Code. The court, before examining the legal basis and evidence of the criminal claim, mainly analyzed its jurisdiction and competence in adjudicating this case.

Based on Articles 3/2, 69, 74 and 76 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court considers that the case under trial falls within its jurisdiction and is within its subject and territorial competence. The court, after informing the arrested person of her right to have a lawyer, found that she was a foreign citizen, and consequently, conducted the trial in the presence of a Turkish language translator, licensed by the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Kujtim Qershori. 2 The court also found that the foreign tourist Julide Yazici had a chosen lawyer and in accordance with Articles 6, 48 and 259 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court legitimized the request of the arrested person to be represented in the trial by lawyer Mr. Artan Shllaku, Member of the Firane Bar Association. Circumstances and facts Based on the materials in the investigation file, it results that the arrest of the foreign citizen Julide Yaziei was made by the judicial police of the Rinas Police Commissariat, as this citizen has been declared internationally wanted (red card) after the Istanbul Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes. with decision No. 2016/122 ESAS-2017/175 KARAR. dated 08.11.2025. has sentenced her to 4 years and 2 months in prison (3 years 5 months and 22 days in prison left to serve), for the criminal offenses. "Providing logistical assistance to a terrorist organization" and "Participation in a terrorist organization", provided for by the Turkish Criminal Code. More specifically, from the acts part of the investigation file it results that: On date 04.08.2026. The judicial police services at the Rinas Police Station have arrested the Turkish citizen. Julide Yazici. daughter of Serif and Birgul, born on 24.08.1994. born in Izmir Koceli, Turkey. because she was declared internationally wanted by the Turkish judicial authorities.

This arrest was carried out after the aforementioned nationality was declared internationally wanted (cartel kuge) after the Istanbul Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes, with decision No. 2016/122 ESAS-2017/175 KARAR. dated 08.11.2025. sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months in prison (3 years 5 months and 22 days in prison left to serve). for the criminal offenses. “Providing logistical assistance to a terrorist organization” and “Participation in a terrorist organization”, provided for by the Turkish Criminal Code. in It turns out that through letter No. 16492KI prot. DKB dated 05.08.2026. Interpol Directorate at the Department for International Relations at the General Directorate of State Police. has notified the General Prosecutor's Office of the above arrest by sending the Individual Report of the search and the information of the DVP Tirana regarding the arrest. By letter dated 06.08.2026, the General Prosecutor's Office has sent this practice to the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Tirana. Under these conditions, the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Tirana, after having verified the preliminary conditions of extradition, submits the request for the legal validation of the provisional arrest as well as the assignment of a personal security measure of a coercive nature. On the provisional arrest in the framework of extradition: In TITLE X. entitled "Jurisdictional relations with foreign authorities", CHAPTER I, entitled "Extradition". Section I. entitled "Extradition abroad" of the C.P.R. contains article 495, which provides that: "1.

When there is an international arrest warrant, the judicial police temporarily arrest the person. They also seize the material evidence of the criminal offense and the items belonging to it. 2. The authority that has made the arrest immediately notifies the prosecutor and the Minister of Justice. Within forty-eight hours, the prosecutor places the arrested person at the disposal of the court in whose territory the arrest was made, sending it the relevant documentation. 3. The court, within forty-eight hours of the submission of the request, validates it and issues a coercive security measure. when the conditions are met, or decides on the release of the arrested person. When the arrested person is an Albanian citizen3 and there is no bilateral agreement on the extradition of citizens with the state that has issued the arrest warrant, the court orders his immediate release. It shall notify the Minister of Justice of the decision it takes.” The procedural action of temporary arrest is also provided for in Article 16 of the Council of Europe Convention on Extradition and in Article 36 of the Law. The purpose of this procedural action is to guarantee the possibility of temporarily restricting the freedom of the requested person, before the request for extradition is received.

Both the Council of Europe Convention on Extradition and its two Additional Protocols, as well as the provisions of criminal law, foresee and allow the arrest/detention of persons for whom there is a request for provisional arrest with a view to extradition, as a provisional measure which may be imposed to guarantee extradition. This arrest/detention is usually carried out on the basis of a formal request from the foreign state, which is submitted to the court by the Ministry of Justice through the prosecutor at the competent court, where the temporary imposition of a coercive measure is requested before the extradition request is made (Article 494 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).3 As an exception to this rule, based on the first paragraph of Article 16 of the Extradition Convention, the arrest may also be carried out by the judicial police and this possibility is provided for precisely in Article 495/1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Regarding the criteria for assessing the legality of temporary arrest, the Prosecution will refer to the criteria provided for in Article 495 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 16 of the Extradition Convention, the latter due to the position that the Convention has in our legal order (See Article 116 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania). The first paragraph of Article 495 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in its wording before the amendment by Law No. 35/2017, provided that the judicial police could arrest the person against whom a request for temporary arrest has been filed, in urgent cases. Currently, the provision no longer contains such a criterion, which means that in order to carry out an arrest under Article 495 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the existence of an international arrest warrant is sufficient for the judicial police.

The different wording of the first paragraph of Article 495 of the Criminal Procedure Code has simplified the work of the judicial police, since if previously the latter had to justify the temporary arrest with the existence of urgency or the risk of the person's escape, currently there is no longer such an obligation, since the existence of an international arrest warrant is sufficient. The request for provisional arrest under the Convention on Extradition is contained in Article 16 of the Convention, which provides that: “1. In urgent cases, the competent authorities of the requesting Party may request the provisional arrest of the person sought. The competent authorities of the requested Party shall decide on such request in accordance with the law of that Party. 2. The request for provisional arrest shall state the existence of one of the documents referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 12 and shall state that a request for extradition is being made for this purpose: it shall state the offence for which extradition is requested, the time and place where it was committed, and, as far as possible, particulars of the person sought. 1. 3 The request for provisional arrest shall be transmitted to the competent authorities of the requested Party either through diplomatic channels, or directly by post or telegram, or through the International Police Organization. Criminal (Interpol, or by any other means that produces a written certificate, or that is accepted by the requested Party. The requesting authority shall notify the requesting Party without delay of the action taken on its request.”. 2 Article 36 of the Law provides that: “1. In urgent cases of arrest of a person against whom a request for provisional arrest has been submitted, the rules of Article 495 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply. 2.

At the request of the Prosecutor General. The Ministry of Justice shall carry out the verification of the requested acts within 24 hours.” Article 494 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that: “7. At the request of the foreign state, submitted by the Ministry of Justice through the prosecutor at the competent court. the court may temporarily impose a coercive measure before the extradition request is submitted. 2. The measure may be imposed when: a) the foreign state has declared that a measure for the protection of personal liberty or a decision imposing a sentence of imprisonment has been taken against the person and that it intends to submit a request for extradition: b) the foreign state has provided detailed information about the criminal offense and sufficient elements for the identification of the person: c) when there is a risk of escape. 3. The competence to impose the measure belongs, in order. the district court in whose territory the person has his/her domicile, residence or residence or the court of the judicial district where he/she is located. In the event that the jurisdiction cannot be determined in the manner indicated above, the competent court is the Tirana Judicial District Court. 4. The court may also decide on the seizure of material evidence and objects belonging to the criminal offense. 5. The Ministry of Justice shall notify the foreign state of the temporary application of the coercive measure and of any possible seizure.”

4 of the international arrest warrant and this is the reason why the first paragraph of Article 495 of the Criminal Procedure Code links the provisional arrest to the international arrest warrant and not to the request for provisional arrest. The purpose of the international arrest warrant is not only to communicate to the states the fact that an arrest warrant has been issued against the wanted person, but also the request for provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition of the person wherever he is. In addition to the existence of the international arrest warrant. criterion sanctioned by Article 495. parag. 31 of the Criminal Procedure Code is the placing at the disposal of the court of the place of arrest of the arrested person within 48 hours of the arrest, as well as the validation of the arrest within 48 hours of the submission of the Prosecutor's request Article 495.

parag. 3 of the CRIMINAL Code provides that another prohibitive criterion for the legal validation of the arrest is the possession of Albanian citizenship by the arrested person and the non-existence of an extradition agreement between the Republic of Albania and the requesting state. Meanwhile, regarding what the international arrest warrant may contain, reference is made to Article 16 of the Convention. Specifically: (i) the existence of one of the documents provided for in paragraph 2. subparagraph “a” of Article 12: (i) to state that a request for extradition will be sent for this purpose; (iii) mention the offence for which extradition is requested, the time and place where it was committed: and (iv) within the possibilities, data about the individual requested. Referring to the temporary arrest of the citizen Julide Yazici, it results that: a) there is an international arrest warrant, which refers to having been issued within the framework of a decision to determine a measure by the Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes, Turkey: b) there is an Agreement between the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Lithuania allowing the extradition of mutual citizens: c) the arrest warrant states the purpose of extradition: d) the arrest warrant mentions the fact attributed to the citizen Julide Yazici, which is related to activities of a terrorist nature. Regarding the above. The Prosecution, assesses