40 representatives from 15 countries discussed freedom of expression in the "5th Istanbul Meeting for Freedom of Expression". The meeting began with a press briefing at the Maiden Tower in Üsküdar.

Alexis Krikorian, representative of the International Publishers Association (IPA) Sara Whyatt, Secretary of the PEN Committee for Writers in Prison, and Andrew Gardner, researcher for the Turkish Desk of Amnesty International (AI) called for the abolishment of Article 301.

Whyatt said that these kind of laws needed to be abolished everywhere because of their potential of abuse in periods of instability, while Krikorian claimed that no publisher in Europe had been taken to court under an Article similar to 301.

Gardner said that freedom of expression was a problem internationally, but that Article 301 was a priority.

Instability always possible

According to Whyatt, only a few European countries, such as Poland, Italy and Germany had legislation that foresees punishment for "insulting ministers, state institutions and the nation", but that these laws had not been applied for the last 10 years.

She nevertheless called for their abolition, as "today's most modern countries" may start applying them in periods of instability. In Turkey, she added, it was not the case of one, but of about a hundred prosecutions, and the murder of journalist Hrant Dink, who had also been prosecuted.

Whyatt added that in her time at PEN since 1990 she could not remember any European court trying anyone under an article similar to Article 301. (EÖ/TK/AG/EÜ)