By Tony Rigopoulos

ATHENS

The Greek Appeal Court has decided not to extradite a member of far-left terrorist group DHKP-C, who was arrested in the capital Athens in December 2017.

According to the Athens Macedonian News Agency, the court accepted the public prosecutor's suggestion that the Turkish authorities’ extradition request for Sadi Naci Ozpolat, 48, should not be accepted.

The defendant told the court that his asylum application has been pending in France since 2009.

Ozpolat was arrested in Athens along with eight others a few days before Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan arrived in Athens on an official visit last December.

Turkish authorities had requested Ozpolat's extradition for being a "member of a terrorist organization" as well as for "planning assassination".

After the court announces its decision Ozpolat was taken back to jail where he is being held for other offences he has committed in Greece.

In February, the Greek Appeal Court also denied the extradition of another member of DHKP-C terror group Mehmet Dogan.