Court blocks access to lawyer's tweet about man's killing in detention following earthquakes

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The Ankara 5th Penal Judgeship of Peace has ordered that access to a tweet about a recent killing in detention be blocked. The decision was given after an application from the cyber crimes unit of the Gendarmerie General Command.

Erdoğan Aydoğdu, a member of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) had posted the tweet.

Sabri Güreşçi, who was detained on February 11 in Hatay on suspicion of theft, later filed a complaint, alleging that he had been tortured in detention. His brother, Ahmet, who was detained with him, lost his life at the hospital while in custody. The two brother were accused of theft and looting after the powerful earthquakes on February 6.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into the incident after a complaint by the two men's father.

Lawyer Aydoğdu later tweeted about the incident, quoting a tweet from the ÇHD: "It is so easy to kill the child of a poor person.

"The gendarmerie who didn't come to rescue us after the earthquake showed up to kill a person at a gendarmerie station.

"Let's say they stole, they plundered. Isn't it cowardness to kill a person by beating him and to tell his father, 'We wouldn't like this to happen.' Shameless people..."

"Violation of personal rights"

In its decision, the court cited Internet Law No. 5651, noting that people can apply to content providers or directly apply to penal judgeships of peace for the removal of the content that they claim to violate their personal rights.

It also cited article 9/3 of the law, which says judges can order access bans on content violating personal rights.

The judgeship concluded that Aydoğdu's tweet was not within the scope of freedom of expression, but did not provide a reason for this conclusion. (AS/VK)