ECHR Considering Turkish Cases

The ECHR is going to decide whether Turkey has violated the right to freedom of expression by putting editor Hünkar Demirel of the pro-Kurdish "Gündem" newspaper and Fevzi Saygili and Tuncay Seyman of the left-leaning "Evrensel" newspaper on trial. In Demirel's case, it will also be considered whether his trial was a violation of the European Human Rights Agreement's Article 6/1.

Furthermore, in appeals by Mehmet Colak, Mehmet Selim Okucuoglu and Tuncay Seyman, the ECHR is to decide whether there had been a fair trial.

Last year, the ECHR demanded that the Turkish government pay 398,000 YTL (around 223,160 Euros) in compensation fines. This year, due to a decrease in appeals to the ECHR, Turkey has only been sentenced to paying 18,000 YTL (around 10,090 Euros) compensation. (EÖ/EÜ/AG/EÜ)