ECHR

Monetary Fine for Publication Bans under Anti-Terror Law

Once more, Turkey was sentenced by the European Court of Human Rights in a freedom of expression case. The state has to pay compensation to Erdal Ölmez and Ali Turgay, the owners of five Turkish magazines, because of unlawful restrictions of freedom of expression.

Erol Önderoğlu

Monetary Fine for Publication Bans under Anti-Terror Law

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) handed down a monetary fine to Turkey on the grounds of illegal restrictions of freedom of expression. The case was based on the application of executives of five weekly magazines.

Erdal Ölmez and Ali Turgay, owners of the magazines Özgür Yorum, Haftaya Bakış, Yedinci Gün, Politika and Ayrıntı, had opened the case at the international court. On 5 October, the ECHR announced their verdict for a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights on "Freedom of Expression".

Turkey has to pay € 4,800 (TL 9,500) in compensation to the applicants.

The case stemmed from a one-month publication suspension of the five magazines under charges of "spreading propaganda for the PKK organization" according to the Anti-Terror Law. The domestic sanctions had been based on publications in issues from 2008 and 2009.

In recent years, most convictions of Turkey related to freedom of expression at the ECHR are based on the Anti-Terror Law. (EÖ/VK)

Origin

BIA News Center

conviciton freedom of expression compensation magazines erdal ölmez ECHR Ali Turgay

Erol Önderoğlu

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.