JAILED TURKISH-ARMENIAN JOURNALIST SEVAN NISANYAN’S SENTENCE RAISED TO 11 YEARS

13:31, 20 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Turkish-Armenian writer, intellectual and journalist Sevan Nisanyan,
currently serving a 6 year, 6 months sentence in Yenipazar Prison in
the western province of Aydin, has had his sentence increased 4 years,
7 months by the Supreme Court of Appeals, BGNNews.com reports.

Nisanyan is currently serving time over a charge of “deliberately
causing harm to the protection of immovable cultural heritage” for his
building an addition to his home in the Aegean village of Sirince in
violation to the Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection Act (KTVKK).

However he is known for his outspoken criticism of the government,
and it is widely believed that his sentencing was simply an excuse
to silence the vocal critic.

Turkish-Armenian daily Agos reported that the additional 4 years,
7 months to his sentence was over three separate charges; 4 years,
2 months handed out over his violation of the KTVKK and 5 months
for the breaking of the seal on his property. The Supreme Court of
Appeals is also hearing an additional 5 year, 6 month prison sentence
for Nisanyan.

Appeals against the eleven separate cases filed against Nisanyan
over violations of the KTVKK and the Zoning Code had been brought to
the Supreme Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court Prosecutor has yet
to respond to the request that the cases be consolidated into one
single sentence, instead of sentencing Nisanyan for the same crimes
one by one.

Nisanyan would have been eligible for transfer to a minimum-security
open prison as of April 21st; however the additional sentencing means
he will remain in his current closed prison until 2016 at the earliest.