HDP Submits Legislative Proposal on Animal Rights: Impunity Must be Ended

bianet cat: Cemile (Photograph: Murat Bayram - bianet)

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan submitted a legislative proposal on animal rights on October 4 World Animal Day.

Raising concerns over the incidents of violence and violation of rights targeting animals, Paylan has underlined that public conscience has been troubled by the news on massacred, assaulted and abused animals.

"The environment of 'impunity' prevailing about this issue paves the way for new crimes and incidents of violence targeting animals and violent practices continue their existence in a spiral", Paylan has indicated.

'The current law is human-oriented'

Referring to the violence suffered by not only street animals, but by the animals in slaughterhouses, zoos, pet shops, production facilities, dolphin parks and the like, Paylan has underlined that the current animal law in force is a human-oriented law, rather than an animal-oriented one:

"The Law no. 5199 on Protection of Animals, which has been in force since 2004, is not an animal-oriented law, but a human-oriented one; it brings about an attitude based not on rights, but on 'protection-mercy'.

"Animals are recognized as creatures that need to be protected; nevertheless, maltreatment, abuse and incidents of violence targeting animals are defined not as crimes, but as 'misdemeanours'.

'23 thousand animals subjected to torture'

Emphasizing that the existing law "does not provide the animals with the sufficient and efficient protection in incidents of violence, abuse and violation of right to life", Paylan has also shared the information that "at least 23 thousand animals were subjected to torture in only 2016, according to the data of independent animal rights organizations".

"It needs to be noted that the animals subjected to torture by being used in experiments and the ones subjected to both psychological and physical torture due to livestock transportation are not included in these figures", Paylan has underlined further.

Within this context, HDP MP Paylan has requested that "all types of legal and penal regulations be introduced, enforced and precisely implemented so that the society and individuals could be reminded that all types of actions inflicting pain on animals, punishing them and claiming their lives and right to life are crimes requiring criminal liability and that animals need rights to protect them even from animal lovers".

Paylan has also underlined that a new legal and penal regulation is necessary "to prevent impunity in incidents of violence targeting animals".

Concluding his remarks, Paylan has indicated that violence against animals has been turning into a "culture" and requested that the Turkish Penal Code and the Law on Protection of Animals be amended. (HA/SD)