Journalist Convicted of Calling “Torturer”

Behram had criticized the government’s appointment and promotion policies in his piece titled “This must be what they call a white [AK] promotion.”

Istanbul 2^nd Assize Court declared their verdict about Behram on May 27. The court sentenced Behram to a legal fine the equivalent of 90 days for the charge of “insult,” in accordance with Article 125/1 in Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Taking the defendant’s financial and economic situation and personal state and the punishment’s effect on the defendant, the court translated their initial decision into a daily fine of 20 TL accordingly with TCK 52/1, and set his sentence as 1,740 TL in legal monetary fine.

Behram’s attorneys will prepare an individual application to the Constitutional Court of Turkey to appeal against the verdict.

Behram: Justice took a blow

Behram’s gave his comments about the verdict in his written declaration to bianet as follows:

“It’s not believable in the name of law, legislation or justice, but I was convicted for describing someone as a “torturer and a rapist”! It says on the sentencing report that the sentence is final. This means that it’s not possible to object to or repeal the verdict. My attorney Başar Yaltı announced in the courtroom that, “we would send an individual application to the constitutional court.” I wonder if we could appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, I don’t know.

“I don’t mind that I was sentenced for writing something I believe is true. However, human rights, justice and the law have taken a blow here. That’s what’s upsetting. “Justice” instead of coming to the aid of tortured, injured parties has become an edict for torture! Just as the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) “AK [White] System” showed that the ballot box is not the only way to uproot the cruelty regime, it’s showing us that courtrooms are not the only way to find justice!

“So this means the torture victim must look for another path to “justice”! Here I am, convicted for calling someone who caused Turkey’s conviction for torture by the European Court of Human Rights a “torturer”! If you were in my shoes, would you trust the “domestic judiciary system?” (BK/PU/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.