Crimes Committed by Recently Released Convicts on Parliamentary Agenda

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Antep MP Mahmut Toğrul has addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül and asked how many people convicted of which crimes have been released based on the recently enacted law on criminal enforcement.

CLICK - Law on Criminal Enforcement Enters into Force

Referring to the news that after the law entered into force on April 15, 2020, the ones released from prison or transferred to an open penal institution have been involved in crimes, Toğrul has asked how many of the recently released have committed crimes again.

In his Parliamentary question, the MP has requested Minister Gül to announce how many convicts have been released on the below charges:

"Wilful killing, crimes against sexual violability, smuggling of migrants, reckless killing, reckless injury, embezzlement, bribery, smuggling, impropriety, theft, fraud, hate and discrimination, forgery, gambling, bid rigging, usury, abduction and detention of children, drugs."

Toğrul has also requested information regarding the distribution of recently released convicts by province, age, gender and prison.

'Who will have the responsibility for dangers?'

Accordingly, the Parliamentary question of Mahmut Toğrul has shared the following observations and addressed the following questions:

"Considering the tendency of the recently released to commit crimes again and the fact that they commit similar crimes, was it foreseen that this law could lead to breakdowns and cause damage on the society?

"Given that after the law known as 'Rahşan [Ecevit] Amnesty' entered into effect [in late 2000], it had a negative impact on the society and the politicians of the time confessed that the legal regulation in question was a 'mistake', will it be a part of your agenda to prevent the negative impacts that will arise from the [recently enacted] law no. 7242?

"Otherwise, who will have the responsibility for the dangers that could arise from this law and for the potential crimes to be committed?"

Mahmut Toğrul has also requested an answer to the following questions on political crimes excluded by the law on criminal enforcement:

"How many people are currently behind bars based on the Articles 220/6-7-8, 302 and 304 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK); the Article 7 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK); and the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations? What is their distribution by age, province, prison and gender? How many of them are arrested and how many of them are convicted?" (AS/SD)