Turkey to pay damages to Deniz Naki and Amedspor

* Photo: ECtHR

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In a judgement dated May 18, 2021, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Turkey shall pay damages to Diyarbakır-based Amedspor football club and its former player Deniz Naki.

The ECtHR has concluded that Deniz Naki's "right to freedom of thought and expression" and "right to a fair trial" have been violated.

Accordingly, the Court has ruled that Turkey shall pay 6,058 TRY in pecuniary and 2,000 TRY in non-pecuniary damages for violating the "right to freedom of thought and expression" and "the right to a fair trial" as per the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

'We will discuss taking it to Grand Chamber'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Haldi Soran Mızrak, one of the attorneys of the case, says that they have welcomed the ruling.

Criticizing the failure to examine the application for a possible violation of the "prohibition of political and effective discrimination," the attorney adds that they will discuss taking the case to the ECtHR Grand Chamber.

What happened?

Football Federation Professional Football Committee (PFDK) sentenced Amedspor player Deniz Naki to exclusion from 12 official games for making ideological propaganda and unsporting statements.

In its statement, Turkey Football Federation (TFF) announced that Amedspor player Deniz Naki was also sentenced to pay 19,500 TRY punitive fine due to his posting on his Facebook account following his team's victory against Bursaspor in the Turkey Cup in 2016.

Naki was penalized due to his following posting: "Today was an important victory for us. We have come through this dirty game with honour. In such a rough time, we are experiencing the honour and pleasure of bringing a glimmer of hope to our people even if just a drop. As Amedspor we have not surrendered and are not going to. We have taken the field with our faith in freedom and won. Because we have planted seeds in freedom and hope. We owe a debt of gratitude to all our politicians, artists and our people and dedicate this victory to all our people who have lost their lives or been injured on our lands for more than 50 days. Her biji Azadi (Long live freedom)".

Moreover, Amedspor was given a fine of 25,000 TRY and sentenced to play one game without spectators on the grounds of "ideological cheers" in the bleachers during a play with Başakşehir in 2016.

The related fines were taken to the ECtHR in August 2016. (EKN/SD)