Three Conscientious Objection Activists Acquitted

The Ankara 4th Criminal Court of Peace yesterday (4 December) acquitted Serpil Köksal, Murat Dünsen and Ibrahim Kizartici of "putting the public off military service". Köksal was present at the hearing, and the other two defendants were represented by lawyer Suna Coskun.

The reason for their trial had been a press statement which Köksal read at support gathering for conscientious objector Halil Savda in Ankara on 8 April, and banners saying "Don't Become a Soldier" which Dünsen and Kizartici are said to have carried.

Campaign continues 

While the three persons have been acquitted, the campaign to achieve recognition for the right to conscientious objection goes on. Under the slogan "It is not a crime to refuse to kill, no to 318", the campaign of the Ankara Working Group for Conscientious Objection and the Conscientious Objection Platform continues. The slogan refers to Article 318/1-2 of the Turkish Penal Code which defines the crime of "putting the public off military service".

The trial had begun on 20 September. The fact that the defendants were aquitted means that there is no chance of applying to the UN Human Rights Committee or the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the issue of conscientious objection.

Turkey has not kept its promise 

Köksal's lawyer Senem Doganoglu told bianet that an application to send Article 318 to the Constitutional Court has been rejected in court.

"I believe that a crime like 'putting the public off military service' has no place in the Turkish Penal Code", said Doganoglu and added that the court decision would be published in the next days.

In the case of conscientious objector Osman Murat Ülke, Turkey had been ordered by the ECHR to change its laws, and had indeed promised the European Council's Committee of Ministers to change the laws by October 2007. However, the Turkish government has not kept its promise. (EÖ/AG)