İmza v. Turkey (24748/03)

Date	20090120
Article	10
Decision	violation

The applicant, Sedat İmza, a Turkish national who was born in 1977 and lives in Istanbul (Turkey), is the owner and editor in chief of the magazine Özgürlük Dünyası (“World of Freedom”). Relying on Article 10 (freedom of expression), he complained about his criminal conviction for having published statements made by the PKK (the Workers’ Party of Kurdistan) and the fact that, as a result, publication of his magazine had been suspended. The Court held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 10, as the interference with the applicant’s freedom of expression had not been justified, particularly in the context of debate on an important matter of public interest. As the applicant had submitted no claim in respect of just satisfaction, the Court held that it was not necessary to make any award in that respect. (The judgment is available only in French.)