The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found Turkey guilty in the case of conscientious objector Halil Savda, who was sentenced by a Turkish court to five months in prison on charges of “inciting people to refuse to fulfill military service” in 2006.
The ECtHR has ordered Turkey to pay Savda 2,500 euros in compensation.
On Aug. 1, 2006, five members of the Anti-militarist Platform including Savda had gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate General in İstanbul in solidarity with Israeli conscientious objectors, and Savda had read a press statement.
Savda was tried and sentenced to five months in prison on charges of “inciting people to refuse to fulfill military service” by reading the press statement with the heading “We are in solidarity with conscientious objectors.”
Savda applied to the ECtHR relying on Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) after the judgement was upheld by Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals.
