Skip to main content

Turkey resurrects deadly Article 301 against dissent

Prosecutors have renewed their use of an infamous article of Turkish law to punish the "crime" of denigrating the Turkish nation.
A Turkish police special forces officer stands guard in front of the Aliaga Prison and Courthouse complex in Izmir, Turkey October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1DC5DD0C60

Turkey has taken another step back in human rights by repressing freedom of expression with a code that carries such stigma it has proved deadly.

In the early 2000s, it was almost routine for writers and intellectuals in Turkey to appear in the corridors of courthouses, one after another. At times they would have to deal with the insults, taunts and threats of angry mobs waiting there for them. The accusation against them was usually the same: denigrating the Turkish identity and the Turkish state under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish penal code.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.