PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 4524/06) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by three Turkish nationals, Mr Yılmaz Yıldız, Mr Kamiran Yıldırım and Mr Mehmet Metin Çılgın (“the applicants”), on 3 January 2006.

The applicants were represented by Mr Ö. Türkdoğan, a lawyer practising in Ankara. The Turkish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent.

The applicants alleged that there had been an interference with their right to freedom of assembly and their right to freedom of expression.

On 14 January 2013 the application was communicated to the Government.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicants are Turkish nationals who were born in 1972, 1965 and 1961 respectively. Mr Yılmaz Yıldız lives in Niğde and the others live in Mardin.

The first applicant, Yılmaz Yıldız, is a health officer and the branch chairman of the Health and Social Services Workers’ Union (Sağlık ve Sosyal Hizmet Emekçileri Sendikası – “the SES”) in Niğde. The second applicant, Kamiran Yıldırım, is a doctor and the branch chairman of the SES in Mardin. The third applicant, Mehmet Metin Çılgın, is a doctor and also a member of the SES in Mardin.

On 4 February 2005 several members of the union gathered in front of the Niğde Social Security Institution (Sosyal Sigortalar Kurumu – “the SSK”) Hospital. Subsequently the first applicant read out the SES’s press statement drawing attention to the problems that could arise as a consequence of the transfer of hospitals incorporated in the SSK to the Ministry of Health.

The statement read as follows: “For the attention of the press and the public: Hospitals incorporated in the SSK have been transferred to the Ministry of Health pursuant to Law no. 5283. Following that structural change patients were unable to take their medication for a long time and hospital staff have been working in a tense atmosphere. Before the structural changes our union warned the Government and the public. The probable administrative and bureaucratic problems were pointed out: SSK was going to be under a huge economic burden, people would have to pay for health care services and an additional tax was going to be imposed on workers. Our union maintains that the Government should allocate more funds from the budget to the health care services to redress the structural problems. Our union states that all citizens should be provided with equal, accessible, sufficient and free health care services.”

On 25 February 2005 the second and third applicants together with another thirty persons gathered in the Mardin Yenişehir SSK Hospital yard. Subsequently, the second applicant read out the press statement in his capacity as chairman of the Mardin branch of the union.

The police did not prevent anyone from entering the yard during either gathering. Nor did they interfere with the demonstrations or the reading out of the press statements.

According to the police reports of 4 February 2005 in Niğde and 25 February 2005 in Mardin, the two groups of demonstrators had been warned verbally that their gatherings were illegal and ordered to disband for the protection of public order and safety.

The Niğde and Mardin public prosecutors filed indictments charging the applicants with intentionally disobeying orders issued by the authorities aimed at protecting public order and safety, pursuant to section 32 of the Misdemeanours Act, Law No. 5326 (see paragraph 17 below).

On 8 June and 14 July 2005 the Mardin Magistrates’ Court and the Niğde Magistrates’ Court, respectively, convicted the applicants as charged and imposed on them administrative fines of 100 Turkish liras (TRY) (approximately 62 euros (EUR)).

The applicants appealed against the courts’ decisions.

On 20 June 2005 and 26 July 2005 the Mardin Assize Court and the Niğde Assize Court, respectively, dismissed the applicants’ appeals. These decisions were notified to the applicants respectively on 15 July 2005 and 3 August 2005.

On 23 August 2005 and 11 October 2005 the applicants paid the fines to the relevant tax departments.