Turkey Convicted From “Halt Warning”

The European Court of Human Rights delivered a verdict yesterday on the case of Yusuf Çoraman, an applicant who was subjected to police fire detention for a traffic offense. 

Punished for opening fire

In the night of 28 January 2007, while driving to work, Mr Çoraman was chased by a police patrol. Mr Çoraman had crossed a white line, and did not stop in spite of police warnings. The police opened fire at the car’s tyres and thus ended the chase. After attempting to escape, Mr Çoraman was restrained by the police and taken to a police station.

Battered under detention, Çoraman filed a complaint against the police. 

On June 9, 2009, a court found the aforementioned police officer guilty of “opening fire at Çoraman as if he was a criminal”, ordering the officer to pay 500 liras for pecuniary damages and 5,000 liras for non-pecuniary damages. The payment was executed through the policeman’s salary. 

However, the court didn’t issue any ruling on the ill-treatment under detention. Çoraman applied to ECHR. 

Relying in particular on Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), Çoraman complained that he had been subjected to ill-treatment during his arrest and that he had been deprived of an effective investigation in this connection.

On ECHR’s verdict issued yesterday, Turkey was convicted of violating Article 3. 

Turkey will pay Çoraman 7,500 euros. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.