3 ECHR Convictions in 3 Weeks

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) convicted Turkey of violating the freedom of expression in the case of Bülent Kaya. The applicant was convicted by a Turkish court of “praising crime and criminals” due to his public speech as the audience was shouting slogans favoring PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. 

The ruling was issued on October 22, which said that Turkey violated Convention Article 10 regarding the freedom of expression. 

Turkey was ordered to pay 860 euros for pecuniary damages, 4,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages and 500 for court expenses. 

In 2003, Bülent Kaya made a public speech at a protest organized by a political party. A criminal court convicted Kaya of “praising crime and criminals”, sentencing him to 3 months of prison. 

In 2008, the sentence was commuted to a fine of 2,000 liras. Kaya reportedly paid the fine in July 2008. 

Similarly, on October 9, ECHR found Turkey guilty of violating the freedom of expression for issuing an injunction on an article by Cumhuriyet newspaper after Abdullah Gül filed a complaint prior to presidential elections in 2007. The court ordered the Turkish government to pay each applicant editor 2500 euros as non-pecuniary damages and 5100 euros as court expenses.

And lastly on October 1, the court  found the Turkish State guilty of violating freedom of expression in the case where 19 applicants were convicted by Turkish courts for singing a petition that used the word “Sayin” for PKK Abdullah Öcalan. 

The court ordered Turkey to pay 60,660 euros to 19 applicants. Turkey will also pay 100,000 euros for court expenses. 

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.