NEWS

Turkish writer acquitted
Prominent Turkish writer Cezmi Ersoz, who was charged with ‘discouraging people from military service’ in an article in Leman magazine on September 2007, has been acquitted today. A lawsuit was filed against Ersoz for his article titled ‘Askerliğin Dönüşü Güzeldir’ (‘Coming back from the army is beautiful’) under the controversial Article 318 of Turkish Penal […]
30 Oct 08

Prominent Turkish writer Cezmi Ersoz, who was charged with ‘discouraging people from military service’ in an article in Leman magazine on September 2007, has been acquitted today.

A lawsuit was filed against Ersoz for his article titled ‘Askerliğin Dönüşü Güzeldir’ (‘Coming back from the army is beautiful’) under the controversial Article 318 of Turkish Penal Code (TPC), which punishes conscientious objectors by providing imprisonment ranging from six months to two years. In many cases, the penalties increase by a half when the news media are used to break the law.

Turkey remains the only Council of Europe member that does not recognise conscientious objection as a constitutional right.

Support free expression for all

 

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £10 monthly donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 monthly donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £10 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Donate a different amount

SUPPORT INDEX'S WORK