In a 6 January 1995 letter to Turkish officials, ARTICLE 19 expressed profound concern over reports of the sentencing on 1 December 1994 of the human rights lawyer, Sedat Aslantas, and his subsequent arrest and detention on 5 December. His sentence, under Article 8 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror, violated his right to freedom of expression, as […]
In a 6 January 1995 letter to Turkish officials, ARTICLE 19
expressed profound concern over reports of the sentencing on 1
December 1994 of the human rights lawyer, Sedat Aslantas, and his
subsequent arrest and detention on 5 December. His sentence,
under Article 8 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror, violated his right to
freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Article 10 of the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights which,
pursuant to Article 90 of the Turkish Constitution, is also
binding under Turkish domestic law. According to ARTICLE 19,
Sedat Aslantas may also face an additional sentence, not yet
ratified, in connection with a press statement he issued
concerning the death of a villager in Bismil in 1993.
ARTICLE 19 encourages international human rights groups,
especially those in European Union member states, to urge their
individual governments and the European Commission to adhere to
the view that the extension of membership in the European Union
can only develop on the basis of shared ideals and legal
practices.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Turkish Minister of the Interior:
Sedat Aslantas is appropriately treated while in detention, in
accordance with international standards
Aslantas and other human rights activists will greatly impede
closer cooperation between Turkey and the member states of the
European Union
Appeals To
Mr Nahit Mentese
Minister of the Interior
Iisleri Bakanligi
06644 Ankara,
Turkey
