4th Judicial Reform Package Accepted, No Release For Kck Prisoners

    After Parliament on Thursday approved the fourth judicial reform package, which mainly aims to do away with violations of human rights, ensure fair trials, expand the boundaries of freedom of expression and prevent lengthy detentions and trials, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said the new package does not open the way for the release of the prisoners in court cases related to the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK). Parliament on Thursday continued deliberations regarding the fourth judicial package, which introduces new judicial reforms, shortly after it adopted a change that no longer makes it a terror crime to print statements of terrorist organizations and attend unauthorized demonstrations. The package submitted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) sparked questions over whether it could pave the way for the release of prisoners in the KCK and Ergenekon cases. After long discussions, the Parliament approved changes to anti-terrorism laws in a bid to reduce the number of prosecutions for the non-violent expression of opinions. The General Assembly discussed the new terror bill in a session on Thursday. Deputies voted on the bill article by article and late on Wednesday night they adopted a motion that decriminalized printing and spreading statements by terrorist organizations or attending illegal demonstrations in support of organizations defined as terrorist groups. This change was accepted during a vote on Articles 7 and 8. Previously, if a person promoted the cause of a terrorist organization by spreading its statements or participating in its demonstrations even if they were not a member of that organization, they would be tried on charges of membership of a terrorist organization. With the changes to the law, such individuals will no longer be tried for membership of a terrorist organization. Speaking to reporters in Parliament following the voting, Justice Minister Ergin, in response to a question from a journalist, said the newly accepted articles do not open the way for the release of KCK prisoners. Ergin pointed out that KCK prisoners are being tried on charges of founding or being members of the armed terrorist organization, according to the Article No. 314 in the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Ergin said the new reform package's legal scope does not include KCK prisoners, dismissing news reports suggesting that the suspects who are jailed pending trial in the KCK case could be released with adoption of the fourth judicial reform package.