Turkish Lawyers Facing Prosecution for Using Term 'Armenian Genocide' Acquitted

The Turkish court unexpectedly acquitted the leaders of the Diyarbakır Bar Association who were prosecuted for using the expressions 'Armenian Genocide' and 'Kurdistan'. According to Ermenihaber.am, the prosecution of former Bar president Ahmet Özmen, current president Nihat Eren, and 8 other members of the executive council was triggered by statements made in 2016 and 2018 in connection with the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and a report published regarding an operation carried out by Turkish drones.

The statements related to the genocide anniversary included terms such as 'Armenian Genocide' and 'Great Catastrophe', as well as calls for Ankara to confront its history. The report about the drone operation conducted in 2017 in the Kurdish-populated Hakkari province also used the term 'Kurdistan' and called on the Turkish Parliament’s Human Rights Commission to act, as a civilian had been killed in these operations (violating the right to life).

As a result, charges were brought against the 10 officials under Turkey's notorious Criminal Code articles 301 (denigrating the Turkish people, the Republic of Turkey, and its institutions) and 216 (inciting hatred and hostility among the public).

It has been reported that during the 7th session of the trial held the day before, when the defendants had yet to deliver their defense speeches, the prosecution unexpectedly requested the court to acquit the defendants. The court cited that the expressions used by the defendants should be considered within the bounds of free speech since the gathered evidence indicates that their statements present no clear danger to public safety, as there is no presence of violence or threats in them.