Turkey has abused the iniquitous article 301 of its criminal code, thanks to which this State silences and jails journalists, representatives of the opposition and dissidents, said Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the Armenian delegation to PACE in Strasbourg.

“I wish to express my discontent with the witch hunt being waged against politicians and parliamentarians in Turkey, including Mr Demirtaş and Ms Güven. In Turkey, the prosecutors in Diyarbakır have submitted a request to the Turkish Parliament to lift the parliamentary immunity of eight parliamentarians, including the deputy of Armenian origin, Garo Paylan. The president’s office of Turkey has also sent a request to lift his parliamentary immunity,” she said in a statement.

According to her, Turkey has abused the iniquitous article 301 of its criminal code, thanks to which this State silences and jails journalists, representatives of the opposition and dissidents.

“In accordance with that iniquitous article, criminal proceedings were undertaken against Hrant Dink, a famous intellectual and journalist, who, although Turkish, is of Armenian origin. He ended up being murdered because of his Armenian origins. Bogus criminal trials have been undertaken against several Turkish intellectuals in accordance with this absurd article, which provides for penalties if someone insults “Turkism”.

The European Court of Human Rights, the European Parliament and our Assembly have, on several occasions, expressed disapproval of this article, one that is tantamount to replicating the inquisition of the Middle Ages, but the Turkish political elite have changed nothing. What did Garo Palyan say in order for it to be perceived by Turkish justice and Erdoğan as an insult against the Turkish nation? He simply described the situation in Diyarbakır, saying that on each corner there one could see armoured vehicles and water cannon, which is reminiscent of the time of Mussolini and Hitler.

That is all he said. Dear colleagues, tell me how that simple statement of fact can be deemed to have denigrated the Turkish nation and Turkey? In any case, Erdoğan has decided that the Turkish nation and the whole of Turkey has been denigrated and dishonoured by the statement, and he has demanded that parliamentary immunity be lifted.   In the 21st century, when it had seemed that the medieval inquisition had concluded, we see Turkey trying to muzzle free expression and free thought.

Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe and I ask you to ensure – no, I demand that you ensure – that our Assembly prevents illegal actions against Garo Palyan and other political figures by Turkey. We should insist that Turkey rescinds this iniquitous article, thanks to which every day, at any time, free expression, free minds and dissidents are silenced in Turkey, ” Naira Zohrabyan concluded.