Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Swedish Parliament Discusses Turkey's Human Rights Violations
by Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) - February 12, 2000
Posted: Thursday, December 14, 2000 at 07:50 PM CT

AINA - The ongoing case of Father Yusuf Akbulut (AINA, 11-23-2000 and 12-4-2000), an Assyrian priest from St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, has raised questions in the Swedish Parliament about Turkey's eligibility for membership in the European Union. Inger Lundberg, a delegate of the Social Democrats party, raised concerns about Turkey's treatment of Assyrians, stating that "a country which requests membership in the EU cannot make encroachments on the human rights of the Assyrians/Syriacs". Furthermore, Inger Lundberg stated that this issue has "created large-scale unrest (concern) to those [Assyrians] which live in southeastern of Turkey". Mister Lundberg asked if "Sweden is ready to take orderly measures against Turkey". Responding to Mister Lundberg, the Minister of State, Goeran Persson, stated that the Parliament "will make sure that we, as far as democracy and human rights are concerned will not make compromises", and "this behavior does not fulfill by any means the expectations which one places against a future member of the European community."

Legal Background

Father Yusuf Akbulut was arrested for affirming, in response to questions from the newspaper reporters, the Assyrian Holocaust of 1915. Fr. Yusuf was interviewed by reporters from the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet during deliberations in the U.S. Congress regarding HR 596, the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

Father Akbulut is accused of violating Article 312, Book 2, Section 5 of the Turkish penal code, "crimes against public order". The first paragraph, "request for committing a criminal offence or threat to cause fear and panic in the surrounding population", reads as follows:

1. He who publicly makes announcements to the population approving of disobedience to the law (which is punishable by law as a crime), is punished with six months to two years prison and with a heavy fine from 6,000 to 30,000 Turkish Lira (TL)
2. He who goads publicly the population with low key statements differentiating between class, race, religion, denomination or region to hate and enmity, is punished with prison from one year to three years and with a heavy fine from 9,000 to 36,000 TL. If this goading occurs in a manner, which endangers public security, then the punishment which can be imposed is increased anywhere from one third to one half.
3. If the criminal offences specified in the above paragraphs were committed by the means mentioned in art. 311 cl. 2 (see below), then the punishment is doubled.

Article 311, clause 2 reads as follows:

If the request takes place via any mass media, tapes, records, films, newspapers, magazines or other printing units by which publishing or spreading and-written and multiplied documents or by hanging up posters and other impacting things at public places, then the amount against the author in imposing penintentiary and terms of imprisonment are doubled.

Under article, Father Akbulut may face a fine of between 18,000 - 108,000 TL and a prison sentence of between 2 - 9 years.

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