The punishment of a public official’s unionist for the making of public statements in the press, at a place were the authorities did not allow, violates the right to assembly
JUDGMENT
Dinçer v. Turkey 19.01.2018 (no. 17843/11)
SUMMARY
Administrative fine to a trade unionist civil servant on the occasion of a comment in the press in front of the ruling party’s offices, a site that the Governor does not allow statements to be made. Infringement of the right of assembly (Article 11).
PROVISION
Article 11
PRINCIPAL FACTS
The applicant, Süleyman Dinçer, is a Turkish national who was born in 1960 and lives in Sinop (Turkey).
The case concerned an administrative fine imposed on the applicant, a civil servant who was an active trade unionist, for having taken part on 15 June 2010 in making a public statement to the press in front of the premises of the ruling party, the AKP (the Justice and Development Party), and was thus organised in a location that had not been authorised by the governor.
Relying in substance on Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association), the applicant complained of an interference with his rights.
THE DECISION OF THE COURT
Violation of Article 11
Just satisfaction: The Court held that the finding of a violation constituted in itself sufficient just satisfaction for the non-pecuniary damage sustained by Mr Dinçer. It further awarded him EUR 60 for pecuniary damage and EUR 800 for costs and expenses (echrcaselaw.com editing).
