26/01/2024 | Writer: Selma Koçak
IHD LGBTİ+ Rights Commission filed a criminal complaint against the Yeniden Refah Party’s hatred video.
Human Rights Association (IHD) LGBTİ+ Rights Commission filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the Yeniden Refah Party's hate video titled “If there is no morality, there is LGBT!”.
The IHD LGBTI+ Rights Commission announced on its X (Twitter) account that it had filed a criminal report.
The criminal complaint included the following statements:
The headquarters of the Yeniden Refah Party (New Welfare Party) launched a short film on social media on 25/01/2024. In this film, a text entitled “If there is no morality, there is LGBTI, we will eliminate perverted organizations from our city!” was circulated. This discourse is hate-encouraging and violates the prohibition of discrimination against LGBTI+ people on the basis of their gender identity. The fact that hate is being organized through social media is also frightening. In its domestic law, the Republic of Turkey has explicitly criminalized discrimination between people on the basis of gender in Article 122 of the Turkish Penal Code. Again, the Republic of Turkey is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. Article 14 of the Convention explicitly prohibits discrimination, in particular discrimination based on gender identity.
The prohibition of discrimination as defined in Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights is of particular importance, because according to Article 90 of the Constitution “In the case of a conflict between international agreements, duly put into effect, concerning fundamental rights and freedoms and the laws due to differences in provisions on the same matter, the provisions of international agreements shall prevail.”
The discourse of the leader and the executives of the New Welfare Party is constantly discriminatory. It has made a habit of discrimination against and targeting LGBTI+ people. Therefore, the rhetoric of this party, which creates discrimination in society, is an imminent danger.
CLICK - Yeniden Refah rang up the curtain on targeting LGBTI+s before the elections
“It violates the prohibition of discrimination”
The IHD LGBTI+ Rights Commission stated in the criminal complaint that the video launched by the New Welfare Party constitutes a clear and imminent crime, saying, “The film launched by the New Welfare Party and circulated on social media constitutes a clear and imminent danger. It violates the prohibition of discrimination. It violates both Article 122 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Tags: human rights
