CASE N° TK/63 - HASAN MEZARCI - TURKEY

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 166th session (Amman, 6 May 2000)

The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the outline of the case of Mr. Hasan Mezarci, a former member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/166/16(c)­R.1), and to the relevant resolution adopted at its 165th session (October 1999),

Recalling that Mr. Mezarci was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for having contravened Law N° 5816 (Code of Crimes against Atatürk) by insulting Atatürk in a speech he delivered in June 1992; also recalling that it has consistently held that in making the statement, Mr. Mezarci was merely exercising his right to freedom of speech,

Noting that the sources have for several sessions failed to respond to the Committee's requests for information,

Noting that it emerges from a hearing of the delegation of Turkey to the 103^rd Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in Amman, that Mr. Mezarci is now free,

1. Considers that, in these circumstances, there is no necessity to continue examining this case, and decides to close the file;
2. Nevertheless deplores the fact that Mr. Mezarci suffered a violation of his freedom of expression.

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