Supreme Court orders release of Kurdish-Turkish national over prolonged detention

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of a Turkish national of Kurdish origin who had been held in detention for 11 months for deportation purposes. The court ruled that the detention, which began in March 2025, was prolonged, unjustified, and lacked any realistic prospect of removal. While the individual's application for international protection was rejected on October 31, 2025, an appeal was filed on December 9, with proceedings scheduled for May 22, 2026. Attorney-General Georgios Savvides argued that the court lacked jurisdiction due to this pending administrative appeal, but the court rejected this objection. The decision emphasized that the judiciary can determine the lawfulness of detention regardless of parallel administrative processes. Furthermore, the court accepted that deportation to Turkey was practically impossible given the applicant's specific circumstances and unresolved arrangements. The applicant was granted a writ of Habeas Corpus after successfully arguing that his continued deprivation of liberty had become illegal and abusive.