EHCR rules in three seperate cases involving Turkey

PARIS

 The European Court of Human Rights has delivered judgments in three separate cases filed against Turkey.

One of the cases, filed by Veli Sacilik and 24 other Turkish nationals – detainees in a Turkish prison in Burdur – concerned a security operation launched in the facility in July 2000.

The applicants claimed that excessive force was used against them, including burning and the use of teargas; Sacilik lost his left arm during the operation.

On Tuesday the court ruled that Sacilik be awarded an additional €10,000 ($10,600) compensation for costs and expenses.

In 2011, the ECHR stated there had been a violation involving the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment in the Burdur prison operation and awarded compensation to 24 of 25 complainants.

Demonstration and freedom of association

The second case concerned Lutfiye Zengin and 23 other Turkish nationals, who were arrested during a demonstration in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakir province on February 22, 2006.

A ruling said the Turkish government had violated Article 5 of the European Human Rights Convention concerning the right to liberty and security plus Article 11 concerning freedom of assembly and association.

Each applicant is to be paid €1,100 for non-pecuniary damage and an additional €3,300 is to be paid jointly for their costs and expenses.

Land acquisition case

Two Turkish nationals, Durru Mazhar Cevik and Munire Asuman Cevik had filed a case to the ECHR claiming they had been deprived their property when land belonging to them was entered into the land register as property of the Turkish Treasury.

The pair claims they did not receive compensation for the acquisition but the court decided to postpone the case for a later date.