Armenian-Turkish MP submits inquiry over Nishanyan’s case

PanARMENIAN.Net - Newly-elected Armenian MP, Selina Dogan submitted an inquiry to the Turkish parliament over the case of Sevan Nishanyan, a Turkish-Armenian linguist and writer, who had been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The inquiry was sent to the country’s Justice Ministry, Agos reports.

Dogan has mentioned in the document that each year around 3000 proceedings are held with the same charges Nishanyan was imprisoned on. “Those found guilty are sentenced to less than 2 years in jail and are usually set free shortly after imprisonment,” Dogan has written, according to Tert.am.

Dogan has asked the Minister of Justice, Kenan Ipek, the following questions: how many people have been charged with similar accusations during the past 10 years and how many of those people have been punished? How many arrests were replaced by fines? How many people are imprisoned with Nishanyan right now?

The sentence for Nishanian, who was jailed on charges of illegal construction, has been increased to 11 years and 8 months. Nishanyan, held at the Aydın Yenipazar Prison at the moment, was sentenced in a different case to a total of 5 years 2 months 15 days imprisonment and given an additional fine of 12.600 TL by the Selçuk 2 Criminal Court of First Instance for opposing the Code of Protection of Cultural and Natural Properties (KTVKK). With the addition of this sentence, Nishanyan’s total prison sentence now stands at 11 years 8 months.