The Constitutional Court has annuled a provision allowing the deferral of sentences for public officials convicted of torture or ill-treatment.
In a ruling published in the Official Gazette, the court annulled a clause of the Criminal Procedure Code that permitted courts to suspend the announcement of verdicts when sentences were two years or less in prison or involved judicial fines.
The court said the regulation created problems linked to impunity in cases involving torture, abuse and ill-treatment, which fall under Article 17 of the Constitution prohibiting such acts. It also said the mechanism failed to provide safeguards against arbitrary practices by public authorities and interfered with several fundamental rights.
The decision followed an application by the main opposition CHP. The annulment will take effect nine months after publication, allowing time for legislative changes.
