Published on 16 June 2025
SECOND SECTION
Application no. 33264/23
İbrahim BEKTAŞ against Türkiye
and 2 other applications
(see list appended)
communicated on 26 May 2025
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE
The applications concern the decisions of prison administrations to withhold various periodicals sent by third-party private individuals to the applicants, who were detained in different prisons. The withholding of these periodicals was based on Article 77 of the Regulation on the Administration of Penitentiary Institutions and the Execution of Sentences and Security Measures, which permits prisoners to receive only books and clothing as gifts.
The applicants unsuccessfully appealed against these decisions. The Constitutional Court subsequently declared their complaints concerning their right to freedom of expression in their individual applications inadmissible for being manifestly ill-founded. In doing so, the Constitutional Court referred to its İbrahim Kaptan (2) decision (no. 2017/30723, 12 September 2018), wherein it held that the confiscation of publications sent to prisoners in disregard of the legal procedures met a pressing social need and was not disproportionate.
Invoking, in particular, Article 10 of the Convention, the applicants allege that the refusal of the prison administrations to deliver the publications to them constituted an unjustified interference with their right to freedom of expression.
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
Has there been an interference with the applicants’ right to freedom of expression, in particular their right to receive information and ideas, within the meaning of Article 10 § 1 of the Convention, due to the refusal of the prison administration to hand over the publications sent to the applicants by post?If so, was that interference prescribed by law and necessary in terms of Article 10 § 2?In particular, having regard to the circumstances of each case, did the national authorities, in their decisions, adequately examine and appropriately balance the applicants’ right to freedom of expression against the other interests at stake, in the light of the criteria laid down by the Court in cases concerning freedom of expression (see Mehmet Çiftci v. Turkey, no. 53208/19, §§ 40-44, 16 November 2021; and Osman and Altay v. Türkiye, nos. 23782/20 and 40731/20, §§ 56-58, 18 July 2023)?
APPENDIX
No.
Application no.
Case name
Lodged on
Applicant
Nationality
Represented by
1.
33264/23
Bektaş v. Türkiye
08/08/2023
İbrahim BEKTAŞ
1990
Bodrum
Turkish
2.
7676/24
Erenç v. Türkiye
11/03/2024
İdris ERENÇ
1972
İzmir
Turkish
Hadi CİN
3.
30256/24
Erdem v. Türkiye
03/10/2024
İdris ERDEM
1984
Manisa
Turkish