Republican People's Party (CHP) Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel has announced that they have submitted a bill of law to the Speaker's Office, requesting that 406 academics signatory to the peace declaration be reinstated and the unjust treatment they suffered be compensated.
Holding a statement for the press to share the bill of law with the public, Özel has indicated that they submitted the bill after the Constitutional Court ruled that the rights of Academics for Peace have been violated.
'An invisible hand prevents its publication'
Referring to the Article 153 of the Constitution, Özel has underlined that the related Constitutional Court ruling has to be immediately published on the Official Gazette, reminding that the ruling is binding for everyone:
"Though it is stipulated that rulings shall be published immediately, an invisible hand prevents the Constitutional Court ruling from being published.
"In other words, the justified ruling has been announced and they must have heard something... The ruling has been put on its official website by the Constitutional Court, but this ruling is not published on the Official Gazette.
'Their unjust treatment should be eliminated'
Accordingly, Özgür Özel has given the following details about the bill:
"A bill of law pertaining to the reinstatement of 406 academics who were discharged by 11 separate Statutory Decrees after the State of Emergency declared on July 20 has been submitted to the Speaker's Office by us.
"The aim of this bill is primarily the reinstatement of these people in their positions in public service, the payment of their unpaid salaries and the elimination of the unjust treatment that they were subjected to."
In the justification part of the bill, it has been indicated, "It is aimed with this bill of law that the 406 academics, against whom there are no allegations other than signing the Peace Declaration, be reinstated by being removed from the appended lists of Statutory Decrees, their freedom of travel be ensured and their material losses be compensated."
Constitutional Court said "violation of right"
The General Assembly of the Constitutional Court examined the individual applications of 10 Academics for Peace sentenced to prison on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for having signed the peace declaration.
On July 26, 2019, the Court ruled that the penalization of Academics for Peace on charge of "terror propaganda" has violated their freedom of expression.
The Court decided that a copy of this judgement shall be sent to all local courts in order to eliminate this right's violation and advised for retrial. The court also ruled to pay each applicant 9 thousand TRY in reparations.
After the new judicial year opened on September 2, the first verdict of acquittalfor an Academic for Peace in accordance with the Constitutional Court ruling was given by the İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court.
After the ruling 37 academics have been acquitted so far.
(TP/SD)
Source: https://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/212921-chp-submits-bill...