ECHR: Violation Despite Commuted Sentence

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) convicted found Turkey in the case of Senanik Öner and Ferhan Türk. 

The case concerns criminal proceedings brought against the applicants following speeches they made in public during the Newroz celebrations about the problems of Kurdish people.

After making these speeches, the applicants were convicted of disseminating terrorist propaganda on behalf of an illegal organization, the PKK (Kurdish Workers’ Party), in April 2008 and sentenced to one year and eight months’ imprisonment.

Announced today, the verdict cited that Turkey violated Article 10 (freedom of expression) on the European Declaration of Human Rights. Turkish courts have convicted the two applicants according to Turkey’s Anti-Terror Act Article 7/2. 

Turkey will pay each applicant 2,500 euros as non-pecuniary damage. 

Violation despite commuted sentence

Öner and Türk, Peoples’Democratic Party (HDP) pre-candidate and Kızıltepe district mayor respectively, were each convicted to 1 year and 8 months of prison. While the rulings were confirmed by the Court of Cessation in December 2011, they were suspended according to a newly implement law on crimes committed through media in October 2012.

“We wanted peaceful resolution, we didn’t defend violence”

In their complaint letter to the ECHR, two applicants defended themselves by saying that they have expressed their views for the resolution on the Kurdish problem with peaceful means and didn’t at all defend violence. (EÖ/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.