Selami Simsek has again the right to apply for asylum in Albania. Today the Administrative Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the Ministry of Interior to not grant asylum to Simsek. This decision come after the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg sent an official request to Albania in January to not deport the Turkish citizen Selami Simsek to Turkey, without the finalization of his trial. Selami Simsek and Harun Celik, two Turkish citizens were arrested in 2019 in Albania, while trying to travel to Canada with fake passports. Upon release from prison in March 2020, Simsek applied for asylum in Albania, with the motivation of being a member of the Gulen movement, fearing that returning in Turkey would put his life in danger. His request was refused by the Albanian institutions, which claimed that the Turkish state did not pose a serious threat to him or his family.
Both Simsek’s case and Celik’s case have raised concerns among the opposition, the civil society and international organizations, that Albania is not respecting its obligations towards the human rights conventions, due to its close ties with Turkey. Celik’s extradition in Turkey was objected by the EU, the United Nations and the Council of Europe. On that occasion, EU Delegation in Albania stated for the Albanian media that “we expect Albania to uphold principles of judicial process and its international obligations, notably under the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.” Celik’s episode put also a lot of pressure against Albania to not act in the same way with Simsek.
