STRASBOURG (AA) - The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) debated on Wednesday the appeal of Leyla Sahin, a former Turkish woman university student.
Grand Chamber which listened to the views of the Turkish government and Sahin (explained by their lawyers) in its hearing today, will announce its verdict on a later date.
ECHR President Luzius Wildhaber told A.A Correspondent that the decision wouldn't be announced before 4-5 months.
Kazim Berzek, the lawyer of Sahin repeated the arguments he had tabled earlier (before ECHR Chamber 4) alleging that Turkey violated Sahin's right to freedom of conscience and religion and right to education under the European Convention on Human Rights. Defending the view that there was no ban on wearing headscarf in universities in Europe, Berzek claimed that secularism in Turkey brought restrictions on freedom of religion.
Munci Ozmen, the lawyer of the Turkish government said that the Turkish government expected the Grand Chamber to confirm the earlier ECHR Chamber's decision that there was no violation as regards Sahin case. Ozmen stressed that states had the right to regulate education, adding that the government was in favor of broadening the scope of freedoms in Turkey.
In 1998 Leyla Sahin, a student at the Istanbul University, filed a suit at the ECHR defending the view that the disciplinary punishment she got for insisting on wearing head scarf in university, was against her human rights.
Sahin's lawyers had appealed the decision of ECHR which ruled on June 29th, 2004 that Turkey didn't violate human rights.
(֓-ULG)
2005-05-18