Today the Commissioner published her written observations submitted to the European Court of Human Rights concerning the case of Wikimedia Foundation, INC. v. Turkey, which relates to the blocking of a free, multi-lingual, collaborative online encyclopedia hosted by the applicant, a non-profit organisation.
The Commissioner sees the ongoing blocking of access to Wikipedia as forming part of a broader pattern of undue restrictions on the right to receive and impart information on the internet, and more generally as an illustration of the disproportionately heavy-handed approach currently prevailing in Turkey to any content or information the Turkish authorities consider offensive.
Commissioner Mijatovic concludes that the way Turkish administrative authorities and courts routinely have recourse to internet blocking is unacceptable in a democratic society and not compatible with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which protects freedom of expression. “The systemic nature of the problem requires far-reaching measures, including the complete overhaul of the relevant Turkish legislation,” writes the Commissioner.