EHRM: Vastzetten Turkse "Steun aan Israëlische totaalweigeraars" vanwege "aanzetten tot dienstweigering" is schending 10 EVRM

EHRM 15 november 2016, IEF 16437; IEFbe 2021; ECLI:CE:ECHR:2016:1115JUD000245812 (Savda tegen Turkije) Mediarecht. Artikel 10 EVRM. Bij een bijeenkomst voor het Israëlische consulaat in Istanbul van het Anti Militaristische Platform las klager een persbericht voor getiteld ‘Wij betuigen onze steun aan Israëlische totaalweigeraars’. Het Hof stelt in de omstandigheid dat de nationale rechter klager hiervoor heeft veroordeeld wegens het ‘aanzetten tot dienstweigering’ een schending vast van artikel 10 van het Verdrag. Persbericht

The applicant, Halil Savda, is a Turkish national who was born in 1974 and lives in Istanbul (Turkey). The case concerned Mr Savda’s criminal conviction for having read out a statement to the press entitled “We are in solidarity with the Israeli conscientious objectors”. On 1 August 2006 five individuals, members of the Anti-Militarist Platform, met in front of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, in support of Israeli conscientious objectors. In the course of the gathering Mr Savda read out a statement for the attention of the press.

Criminal proceedings were brought against him and in August 2008 he was sentenced to a fivemonth prison sentence on the ground that he had incited the population to evade military service by means of a public statement; the court noted in particular that Mr Savda was a conscientious objector and that he had called on persons who did not define themselves as conscientious objectors to evade military service. The Court of Cassation upheld that judgment in November 2010. Relying in particular on Article 10 (freedom of expression), Mr Savda complained about his conviction in criminal proceedings for having read out a statement to the press.