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Sweden arrest alleged PKK member
26.10.2010
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October
26, 2010
BRUSSELS, Belgium, — A Turkish citizen
arrested in Sweden on suspicion of terrorism is
believed to be a member of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), a separatist rebel group, Belgian
prosecutors said Monday.
The arrest of the man at Stockholm's international
airport was linked to a dragnet launched in March
which targeted PKK activities in Belgium, said Leen
Nuyts, a spokeswoman for the Belgian federal
prosecutor's office.
The man, who is wanted by Belgian authorities, is
"suspected of being a member of a terrorist
organisation," Nuyts told AFP. His identity has not
been revealed.
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Eight people were
arrested in Belgium on March 4 and
charged with participating in the activities of a
terrorist group. Six were released conditionally on
March 25 while two were kept in detention.
Around 300 Belgian police officers conducted 28
searches to dismantle a network that was recruiting
young volunteers to join the PKK.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its
political wing on the European Union's terror list.
Since 1984 the PKK [Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan] took
up arms for greater rights and autonomy in the
mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey
[Turkey-Kurdistan] which has claimed around 45,000
lives of Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the
party also demanded an end to ethnic discrimination
in Turkish laws and constitution against Kurds,
ranting them full political freedoms.
A large Turkey's Kurdish community estimate to over
20 million openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK
rebels.
Belgian authorities issued a European arrest warrant
for the man who was arrested in the Swedish capital
on Friday after he was not found in the March raids,www.ekurd.netNuyt
said.
Belgium has made an extradition request, which is
being review by Swedish authorities.
Copyright, respective
author or news agency, AFP | Agencies
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