28/01/2009 | Writer: KAOS GL

January 28, 2009
Hurriyet Newspaper

The Supreme Court of Appeals overruled an Istanbul local court

The local court decided to close the organization on the basis it was against Turkish moral values. The local court will hear the case one more time and if insists upon its decision, the General Committee of the Supreme Court will examine the case again.

Amnesty International, which started a campaign to support LAMBDAIstanbul, has welcomed the decision. "This decision is highly critical to prevent discrimination and provide freedom of organization," said Andrew Gardner, an Amnesty International researcher working on Turkey. "The decision is a message to authorities to not impede the legal work of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgender organizations (or, LGBTT)," he said.

Although the local court in its justification said the name and the aim of the association was against law and morality, the Supreme Court said sexual identity and orientation was not a personal choice but occurred at birth or because of a person
Tags: human rights
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