Eurocommission Disappointed by Turkish JusticeJuly 13, 2006 - 17:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Commission is disappointed by the verdict regarding Olli Rehn, the European Union's Enlargement Commissioner, said. In his words the prison sentence imposed on writer Hrant Dink is not just a restriction of freedom of expression but may also set a binding case law for similar cases. Rehn described Dink's prison sentence for insulting Turkishness, which was recently finalized by a Court of Appeals ruling, as "disappointing." "That judgment is the first final one by the highest jurisdiction in Turkey about interpretation of Article 301 of the revised Turkish Penal Code. In this sense, it establishes a binding case law that will set the trend for lower jurisdictions to follow when applying Article 301 in the future," he said.He also highlighted his worry that Turkish courts are not interpreting existing legislation in line with the relevant EU criteria. "I'd therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301 and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom of expression in Turkey. I'd also like to recall that freedom of expression is a key principle under the Copenhagen political criteria and constitutes the core of democracy. In any case, the European Commission will review the situation in light of the Copenhagen criteria in its upcoming progress report, expected in the autumn," Olli Rehn said, the New Anatolian writes. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |