Apology Campaign to Be Investigated

A Heavy Penal Court has overruled the decision of the Ankara prosecution to dismiss proceedings in the case of the campaign of apologising to Armenians.

Erol Önderoğlu

The Sincan 1st Heavy Penal Court in Ankara has opened the way for a prosecution of the signatories on the Internet campaign apologising to Armenians for the events of 1915. The controversial Article 301 has been cited.

The Heavy Penal Court has overruled the dismissal of proceedings by the Ankara prosecution.

The Internet campaign was started in December 2008 and has resulted in nearly 30,000 supporters putting their names under the text:

“My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and sisters. I apologize to them.

Ankara residents Hasan Hüseyin Satır, Sabahat Özgür, Mehmet İnal Kolburan, Hüseyin Erdoğan, Serdar Orhaner and Kürşat Karacabey had prepared a complaints campaign and had demanded the trial of the signatories of the apology campaign for “denigrating the Turkish nation”, i.e. an indictment under Article 301.

On 26 January 2009, the Ankara prosecution had decided that “even opposite opinions are protected under the concept of freedom of expression in democratic societies” and had dismissed proceeding. By overruling this decision, the Heavy Penal Court has made a trial against signatories possible. (EÖ/AG)

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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İstanbul Üniversitesi Fransız Filolojisi Bölümü'nden mezun. 1996'da muhabiri olduğu uluslararası Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF) örgütünün Türkiye temsilcisi olarak çalışıyor. 1999'dan beri İPS İletişim Vakfı'nın projesi olan bianet sitesinde, Hukuki Destek Masası koordinatörü, ifade özgürlüğü editörü ve yayın yönetmeni olarak çalıştı. 4.800'den fazla imzalı haber ve makalesi bulunuyor. Bizim Gazete ve Güncel Hukuk dergisi için haber ve makaleler yazdı. Halen bianet'te Medya Gözlem Raporları'nı hazırlıyor.