ECtHR: Freedom of expression of academics Oran, Kaboğlu violated

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The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has pronounced its judgement regarding the application of Human Rights Advisory Committee Chair Prof. İbrahim Kaboğlu and Prof. Baskın Oran, who prepared a report on "minorities and cultural rights" and were subjected to grave insults and death threats by ultranationalist groups over this report.

Examining the application referring to a lack of prosecution in the face of these grave insults and deaths threats targeting the academics, the ECtHR has concluded that Turkey has violated human rights.

While the court has concluded that freedom of expression of the academics, as guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), has been violated, the application claiming that the Article 8 of the ECHR (right to respect for private and family life) was also violated has been found inadmissible by the ECtHR. Turkey will now pay both Baskın Oran and İbrahim Kaboğlu 2,000 Euro in pecuniary damages.

What happened?

Kaboğlu and Oran filed a complaint about the remarks of an MP, indicating that their right to respect for private and family life was violated, and a complaint about the lawsuit filed against them, indicating that their freedom of expression was violated by this legal action.

Referring to Baskın Oran and İbrahim Kaboğlu, who prepared the report, at the General Assembly of the Parliament in 2004, the then Member of Parliament S.S. used insulting remarks about Kaboğlu and Oran. While Oran filed a criminal complaint against the MP on the grounds that his personal rights were violated, the ensuing lawsuit remained inconclusive.

In 2005, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit against the two academics over their report. (HA/SD)