Lawsuit Against Diyarbakır Bar Association Over its Declaration on April 24

* Photo: krdnews

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

As the Ministry of Justice has given permission for investigation, the Batman Heavy Penal Court has ruled that a lawsuit shall be filed against the former Chair and 10 executive board members of the Diyarbakır Bar Association over their declaration entitled "We share the unmitigated great sorrow of Armenian People" published on April 24.

Accordingly, the former Bar Chair and executive board members will be charged with "openly inciting the public to enmity and hatred and degrading the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM)."

They will be tried as per Article 301 of the TCK

As reported by medyascope.tv, the trial will be held at the Heavy Penal Court in Diyarbakır and the former Diyarbakır Bar Chair and 10 executive board members will be tried as per the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) over their declaration published on April 24.

Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Article no. 301

A person who publicly degrades Turkish Nation, State of the Republic of Turkey, Grand National Assembly of Turkey the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the judicial bodies of the State shall be sentenced a penalty of imprisonment for a term of six months to two years. A person who publicly degrades the military or security organisations shall be sentenced according to the provision set out in paragraph one. The expression of an opinion for the purpose of criticism does not constitute an offence.

The following people will stand trial:

Former Diyarbakır Bar Chair Ahmet Özmen and Mahsum Bati, Nuşin Uysal Ekinci, Cihan Ülsen, Sertaç Buluttekin, Muhammet Neşet Girasun, Serhat Eren, İmran Gökdere, Velat Alan, Ahmet Dağ and Nahit Eren.

What did they say in the declaration?

The declaration released by the Diyarbakır Bar Association on April 24 was entitled "We share the unmitigated great sorrow of Armenian People."

The declaration stated the following in brief:

"Atrocious policies were pursued against Armenian people by the power holders of the time, first by purging the Armenian intellectuals and leaders, then forcing over one million people to begin a journey of death towards the Syrian border by military units and the Intelligence Agency Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa under the name of 'Law on Deportation'.

"The sorrows suffered were so great that: The 'genocide' definiton of the United Nations (UN) Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect was conceptualized and penned by drawing inspiration from what was done to the Armenian people. The memory of the massacres, exiles and deportation in Armenian-populated İstanbul, Diyarbakır, Van and several other provinces in Anatolia is still alive and we remember all civilian-innocent Armenians of Anatolia who lost their lives in genocide with respect."

(EMK/SD)