"Crimes of Thought": 229 Years Imprisonment in Six Months

Every six months, the Human Rights Association (IHD) publishes a report on rights violations. According to the report pertaining to the first six months of 2007, 451 people are involved in 94 trials for using their right to freedom of expression. In addition, there have been 88 investigations of 361 people.

"No improvement" 

103 trials involving 368 people have resulted in the sentencing of 193 people to a total of 229 years, 3 months and 15 days imprisonment and 7,981 YTL (around 4,600 Euros) in fines. The IHD noted that these statistics " prove that, compared to recent years, there has been no improvement in the area of freedom of expression".

According to the association, 17 of the trials opened in this period have been under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code ("degrading Turkishness, the Republic, the State or its institutions"), 22 trials under Article 215 ("praising crime and criminals"), four trials under Article 314, two trials under Article 216 (inciting the people to hatred and hostility or degrading"), and two trials under Article 288 ("attempting to influence the judiciary"). There have been 20 trials under Article 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Law ("spreading propaganda of a terrorist organisation"), two trials under the Law of Crimes Committed against Atatürk (the founder of the Turkish Republic), and one under Article 312 of the old Turkish Penal Code.

25 trials concluded

The first six months of 2007 have also witnessed the conclusion of 25 trials under Article 301, 23 trials under Article 215, and 4 trials under Article 216.

Nationalists encouraged by legal persecution of freedom of expression

The Human Rights Association has protested against the overturning of the acquittal of academics Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Kaboglu and Prof. Dr. Baskin Oran, who had been on trial for a report on minority and culture rights prepared for the Prime Ministerial Office. The report had suggested replacing the term "Turk" for citizens of the Turkish Republic with the term "citizen of Turkey", which would include all ethnic and religious groups in Turkey.

According to the association, the academics' case is similar to the legal persecution of writers such as Perihan Magden, Elif Safak and Hrant Dink. The IHD warned that "Regarding the freedom of expression as a crime does not only result in trials, but can also result in protests provoked by nationalist segments of the population and lynching attempts."Reyhan Yalcindag, the president of the IHD, said, "Everyone knows how there was a build-up to Hrant Dink's murder, how, when he was in court for 'degrading Turkishness', his expressions of peace and brotherhood were twisted into something else."

"Özgür Gündem" closed four times

The IHD also called attention to the fact that the "Özgür Gündem" newspaper has been closed four times this year. (EÖ/AG)