Turkey, Azerbaijan: Freedom of expression for LGBT persons censored - Council of Europe report

Turkey
In Turkey, following the decision of the Ankara Public Prosecutor Office to seize an LGBT magazine in 2006, which was justified on the ground of Article 28 of the Turkish Constitution and the Law on Criminal Procedure, the NGO which had published the magazine filed an appeal. This appeal was unsuccessful and after the final decision of the Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance, the NGO brought the case before the European Court of Human Rights, which is now pending.

Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan the novel “Artush and Zaur”, by the author Alekper Aliyev, portraying the love between an Azerbaijani man and an Armenian man, was removed by the police from a big bookstore in Baku.

*Read also: Groundbreaking Council of Europe report issues ‘red cards’ to many member states, incl. Armenia, for failing gay rights