CHP appeals to top court for annulment of inmate release bill

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has appealed to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of a law that paved the way for the release of 90,000 inmates from prisons on grounds that the bill was not voted properly in parliament.

A petition for the annulment was submitted to the high court on April 22 by CHP deputy parliamentary group leader Engin Altay who explained, at a press conference, that another petition will be submitted in the coming period on the grounds that the law breaches fundamental principles of the Turkish constitution.

“The entire regulation is about inequality and injustice,” Altay said. “But today’s application concerns the methodological problems over the voting of the law.”

As some provisions of the law grant amnesty to certain criminals they had to be approved by a three-fifths majority, Altay stated, adding that a final vote on the entire package had also been voted by the same majority and not simple majority.

“It openly breaches the constitution and internal regulation in parliament,” he said. He said they had to rush for the first appeal because any appeal on the methodological reasons should be made within 10 days after the law is approved.

He said a more substantial appeal on the content of the law will be made in the next weeks.

Some 90,000 inmates were released from prisons after the law was approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that emptied one third of the overcrowded prisons.

Sex crimes that offend the public’s conscience, as well as drug crimes, first-degree murder, crimes of violence against women and terrorism-related crimes, were excluded from the amendment.

The CHP slammed the government for blocking the release of journalists, academics and civil society activists who are behind bars.