AKIN v. TURKEY
Doc ref: 34688/97 • ECHR ID: 001-3910
Document date: September 11, 1997
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AS TO THE ADMISSIBILITY OF
Application No. 34688/97
by Abdullah AKIN
against Turkey
The European Commission of Human Rights (Second Chamber) sitting
in private on 11 September 1997, the following members being present:
Mrs. G.H. THUNE, President
MM. J.-C. GEUS
G. JÖRUNDSSON
A. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
J.-C. SOYER
H. DANELIUS
F. MARTINEZ
M.A. NOWICKI
I. CABRAL BARRETO
J. MUCHA
D. SVÁBY
P. LORENZEN
E. BIELIUNAS
E.A. ALKEMA
A. ARABADJIEV
Ms. M.-T. SCHOEPFER, Secretary to the Chamber
Having regard to Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection
of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
Having regard to the application introduced on 21 August 1996 by
Abdullah Akin against Turkey and registered on 30 January 1997 under
file No. 34688/97;
Having regard to the report provided for in Rule 47 of the Rules
of Procedure of the Commission;
Having deliberated;
Decides as follows:
THE FACTS
The applicant, born in 1967, is a Turkish citizen of Kurdish
origin and resident in Diyarbakir. He is represented before the
Commission by Mr. Mahmut Vefa, a lawyer practising in Diyarbakir.
The facts of the present case, as submitted by the applicant, may
be summarised as follows.
The applicant is the provincial president of the political party,
HADEP, in Diyarbakir.
On 23 June 1996 the applicant went to Ankara to participate in
the second party congress of HADEP. During the congress the Turkish
flag was taken down by some of the party militants who had participated
in the congress.
On 24 June 1996, at 3 a.m., the applicant was arrested by
policemen on the ground that the Turkish flag was taken down during the
congress. He was taken to the Anti-Terror branch of Ankara Security
Directorate to be questioned. During custody he was not allowed to
consult his legal representative and was subjected to insults, such as
being called a "traitor".
On 4 July 1996, after 11 days of police custody, the applicant
was brought before a judge at the Ankara State Security Court and was
remanded in detention by the court. The applicant filed an objection
with the court and he has been released pending trial on 12 July 1996.
On 23 August 1996 the Public Prosecutor attached to Ankara State
Security Court instituted criminal proceedings against the applicant
and other members of the HADEP. The applicant was accused under Article
168 para. 1 of the Turkish Penal Code of being a member of the
terrorist organisation, the PKK. The proceedings are still pending
before the Ankara State Security Court.
COMPLAINTS
1. The applicant complains under Article 5 paras. 1(c), 2, 3 of the
Convention that he was held in police custody for an excessive length
of time without being brought before a judge and that he was not
informed of the nature of the accusations against him. In conjunction
with Article 14 of the Convention, the applicant also complains that
he was deprived of his above-mentioned rights because he was Kurdish
and affiliated to the HADEP.
2. He complains under Article 6 para. 3(a), (b), (c), (d) of the
Convention that he was not informed in detail of the nature of the
accusation against him, that he was deprived of his right to legal
assistance and that he was deprived of facilities for the preparation
of his defence. In conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention, the
applicant also complains that he was deprived of his above-mentioned
rights because he was Kurdish and affiliated to the HADEP.
THE LAW
1. The applicant complains under Article 5 paras. 1(c), 2, 3
(Art. 5-1-c, 5-2, 5-3) of the Convention that he was held in police
custody for an excessive length of time without being brought before
a judge and that he was not informed of the nature of the accusations
brought against him. The applicant also alleges a violation of Article
5 in conjunction with Article 14 (Art. 5+14) of the Convention that he
was deprived of his above-mentioned rights since he was Kurdish and
affiliated to HADEP.
The Commission considers that it cannot, on the basis of the
file, determine the admissibility of these complaints and that it is
therefore necessary, in accordance with Rule 48 para. 2 (b) of the
Rules of Procedure, to give notice of these complaints to the
respondent Government.
2. The applicant complains under Article 6 para. 3(a), (b), (c), (d)
(Art. 6-3-a, 6-3-b, 6-3-c, 6-3-d) of the Convention that he was not
informed in detail of the nature of the accusation against him, that
he was deprived of his right to legal assistance and that he was
deprived of facilities for the preparation of his defence. In
conjunction with Article 14 (Art. 14) of the Convention, the applicant
also complains that he was deprived of his above-mentioned rights since
he was Kurdish and affiliated to the HADEP.
The Commission notes that the criminal proceedings brought
against the applicant are still pending before the State Security
Court.
However, according to its established case-law, the Commission
deems it necessary to take into consideration the entire criminal
proceedings brought against the applicant in order to decide whether
they conform to the requirements of Article 6 (Art. 6) of the
Convention (e.g. Nos. 23878/94, 23879/94, 23880/94, 23881/94, 23882/94,
23883/94, Dec. 25.5.95, D.R. 81-B, p. 94). The Commission therefore
notes that as the applicant has not yet been convicted he still has at
his disposal the possibility of submitting his complaints before the
domestic courts. In this regard, the applicant's complaints under
Article 6 (Art. 6) appear to be premature. Besides, the Commission
recalls that, after the final ruling is given in domestic law, the
applicant may re-submit his complaints to the Commission if he still
considers himself victim of the alleged violations.
It follows that this part of the application should be rejected
as manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 27 para. 2
(Art. 27-2) of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Commission,
DECIDES TO ADJOURN the examination of the applicant's
complaints concerning the length of his detention without being
brought before a judge and his complaints that he was not
informed of the accusations brought against him and that he was
discriminated against on the ground of his Kurdish origin.
unanimously,
DECLARES INADMISSIBLE the remainder of the application.
M.-T. SCHOEPFER G. H. THUNE
Secretary President
to the Second Chamber of the Second Chamber
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