1. When the question put by the Honourable
Parliamentarian was discussed, the Turkish delegation informed the
Committee of Ministers that the minor in question – who had been
prosecuted by the Office of the Prosecutor of Konya Province on
the basis of Article 299 of the Turkish Criminal Code for insulting
the President in a statement he had made on 23 December 2014, and
arrested upon a court decision on 24 December 2014 – had been released
on 26 December 2014.
2. As a procedural guarantee, the Turkish delegation stated that
the application of Article 299 of the Criminal Code only occurs
upon prior approval of the Minister of Justice. In addition, the
internal mechanisms guaranteeing freedom of expression (under Article
10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the relevant case
law of the European Court of Human Rights) also apply.
