Approximately 10,000 people presently controlled in jail though not condemned of crimes will be liberated, thank to a recently adopted legal agreement extending the scope of juridical control measures, Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay has stated.
“This is a progressive step for democratisation. I believe it is important, as it’s one of the latest laws of the current legislative year. Specially authorized courtrooms have been abolished. The methodology of the investigating section before a case is opened has especially altered. Arrests and trials [acquitted with the suspect] under arrest have almost become an exceptional practice with this law,” Atalay said to reporters in Ankara yesterday, adverting to the newly acquired 3rd juridical reform package. “A new juridical control mechanism has been established, so according to our estimates 10,000 people will profit from the juridical control mechanism and will leave prison. It has also accelerated the trial process,” Atalay stated.
The reform also aroused hope for the 8 jailed deputies elected while in prison in the June 12, 2011 elections. Nevertheless, hours after Atalay mentioned possible releases, a Diyarbakır court declined a call for the release of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy İbrahim Aydın, telling the conditions for juridical control measures weren’t met. A Diyarbakır court’s July 7 ruling declining a call for the release of another BDP deputy, Faysal Sarıyıldız, caused disappointment.
With the adoption of the reform, judges will be able to carry out juridical control without a maximum limit, instead of trusting on detention. While Cabinet ministers have perpetually emphasised the importance of juridical discretion, specially in the situation of the arrested deputies, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) criticised the ruling Justice and Development Party (CHP) for such statements. “Judges are obligatory to allow for concrete justification for continuation of arrest; custody can’t be arbitrary. If there’s no likelihood of flight or demolition of evidence for those who are under arrest now, the courts must release them under the law. Courts don’t have the right to act arbitrarily,” CHP deputy Ali Rıza Öztürk stated yesterday. According to figures supplied by the Justice Ministry and valid as of June 18, there are 34,720 people under arrest in prisons.
