Tan had sent a letter to the Radikal newspaper in which he described the degrading conditions of the notorious F-type prisons. Prison authorities had prevented the sending of the letter, which, according to the ECHR, represented a "violation of the right to communication".
According to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, entitled "Right to respect of privacy and family life", everyone has the right that their "private life and family life, housing and communication" are respected.
Letter "would create problems"
32-year-old Tan, sentenced to twelve years imprisonment in the F-type Sincan prison in Turkey's capital Ankara, had written a letter to the newspaper in 2002. Prison authorities had argued that the letter "would create problems" and had refused to send it.
Tan then applied to the ECHR, arguing that his right to communication had been violated.
In yesterday's (3 July) decision, the ECHR also noted that in the regulations of penal institutions, the degree to which authorities can intervene in the communications of prisoners is not clearly defined. (TK/AG)
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