Constitutional Court Rules Second Time Alpay’s Rights Violated
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In response to the individual application of Şahin Alpay, the Constitutional Court has ruled for the second time that his rights have been violated.
The Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled that since its first verdict of violation regarding Şahin Alpay has not been implemented, his right to liberty and security guaranteed by the Article 19 of the Constitution and his right to a free trial guaranteed by the Article 36 have been violated. The court has also ruled that Alpay shall be paid a compensation of 20 thousand Turkish liras.
Emphasis on bindingness
On January 11, 2018, in response to their individual applications, the Constitutional Court ruled that the rights of jailed journalists Şahin Alpay, Mehmet Altan and Turhan Günay had been violated and issued a decision of release. About Şahin Alpay and Mehmet Altan, for whom the Constitutional Court previously ruled that their "right to liberty and security" as well as their "freedom of press and expression" had been violated, the 13th and 26th Heavy Penal Courts respectively ruled that their imprisonment shall continue.
Hürriyet daily newspaper reported that the attorneys of Altan and Şahin appealed again to the Constitutional Court on the ground that "their rights to freedom and security have been violated due to the failure to implement the verdict of violation issued by the Constitutional Court."
The Constitutional Court discussed the new application of Şahin Alpay at its agenda meeting today (March 16) and again ruled that the rights of Alpay have been violated. Hürriyet has also reported that in justification of the decision, it is emphasized that the verdicts of the Constitutional Court have a binding force. As for the new individual application of Mehmet Altan, it will be addressed at a later date.
What happened?
Şahin Alpay was detained in the first detention wave on July 27, 2016 following the July 15 coup attempt. He was arrested since then.
Mehmet Altan was detained in the first detention wave on July 27, 2016 and arrested on September 22.
Alpay was jailed pending trial in Zaman case and Altan was jailed pending trial in the coup attempt media case.
About Şahin Alpay
Alpay is a writer, political scientist and journalist.
Political scientist, journalist-author. He was born in Ayvalık / Balıkesir on the April 18, 1944. He completed his primary education in Nişantaşı Nilüfer Hatun Primary School, secondary education in English Boys School and high school in Robert College.
After his graduation from Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences (1967) he became a research assistant in the Faculty of Education of the same university (1968-71). He continued this duty in Sweden Stockholm University where he went for PhD studies (1972-81). He completed a PhD program in Political Science (1981).
When he returned he worked as an editor and author in newspapers of Cumhuriyet (1982-92), Sabah (1993-94), Milliyet (1994-2001) and Zaman. In the same time he gave lessons in Turkey in Anadolu and Boğaziçi Universities and abroad in Princeton University in the USA. Starting from 2001, he became an academic member at the Department of Political Sciences and International Relations in Bahçeşehir University.
Between the years 1999 - 2002 he presented a weekly interview program called Entelektüe lBakış in CNN Türk channel. In 2006 he started to present the program Akıl Defteri in Mehtap TV. He continued writing columns in Zaman newspaper.
WORKS: Turkar i Stockholm: En Studie av Invandrare, Samhalle och Politik (Turks in Stockholm: A Social and Political Research about Immigrants, 1980), SHP-DSP Nerede Birleşiyor Nerede Ayrılıyor (1986), 2000 Yılında Türkiye (1991), Türkiye'nin Tanıkları – İçerden Bakanlar (2002), Türkiye'ninTanıkları - DışardanBakanlar(2003).
TRANSLATIONS (from Astrid Lindgren): Şamatalı Köy (1990), Pippi Uzunçorap Korsan (1991). (BK/SD)