NEWS CENTER - ECtHR sentenced Turkey to compensation in the case of Fehime Ete, who was sentenced to prison for celebrating the birthday of PKK Leader Abdullan Öcalan.

 

According to JINNEWS, 9 members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the Families of Convicts Association, who celebrated the birthday of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan on April 4, 2006 in Siirt, were accused of 'propagandising a terrorist organisation and praising crime and criminal' and a law suit was filed against them. While 8 out of 9 people were arrested, Fehime Ete, who was on trial within the scope of the same case, was not arrested because she could not be found. Eight people were later released. The court sentenced 9 people to 10 months in prison each. Appeals against the prison sentences were dismissed.

 

ECtHR SAYS IMPRISONIN PEOPLE FOR CEBERATING ÖCALAN'S BIRTHDAY IS A VIOLATION

 

Ete's lawyer, Reyhan Yalçındağ Baydemir, applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after the domestic remedies were exhausted. The ECtHR decided on the application two days ago. In the decision, it was stated that the prison sentence for celebrating PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's birthday with a cake is a violation of freedom of expression according to the Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR sentenced Turkey to pay 2 thousand Euros of non-pecuniary damages against Ete. It also decided that Turkey would pay the costs of the proceedings for 1,500 Euros.