Freedom House keeps Turkey among the non-free countries of 2019

NEWS DESK

Freedom House maintained its classification of Turkey as a "non-free nation" in its annual international report on freedoms in the world, where it published its annual report, with "The Decline of Democracy: Freedoms Around the World," on Wednesday, and pointed out to the continuation of the democracy decline around the world since13 years ago. According to the UAE site "Bawbat Al Ain News".

The "Freedom House", which takes Washington as base to it, where Turkey classified in 2018 within the non –free countries" to keep it in the same classification in its report for 2019.

According to the report, the balance of Turkey in 2019 retreated to 31 points in the category of "non-free countries," after it came within the same category with 32 points in 2018.

"One of the most prominent examples of this international wave is the opening of more than 20,000 investigations and the establishment of more than 6,000 lawsuits in Turkey in 2017 on charges of insulting the president," the report said.

The offense of insulting the President of the Republic in Turkish Penal Code No. 299 is one of the most important means of political repression in Turkey in recent years, under which hundreds have been arrested. The same article provides for imprisonment for those who humiliate the president from one year to four years.

"Following the two-year emergency state (which began after the alleged coup attempt in 2016), leaders of opposition parties were imprisoned and had been under severe pressure exerted on freedom of speech, freedom of gathering and formation of organizations," the report said.

The report also noted that the last presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey took place in June, the same month that witnessed the abolition of the emergency state."

The report said that after the elections and despite the cancellation of the emergency, the arrests of journalists and members of civil society and academics and campaigns continued in addition to liquidation campaign in the state's apparatus.

H/S

ANHA