"L'Etat c'est Moi" - Judges representing Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have been dispersed across the country.

"L'Etat c'est Moi" - Judges representing Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have been dispersed across the country. (Bugun).

A new ruling of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has reassigned highly qualified judges who represented Turkey at the ECHR in Strasbourg.

The 27 November-dated ruling practically dissolves the Ministry of Justice’s UNHCR desk. Now 80 highly qualified judges and prosecutors, including those who were brought to defend Turkey at Strasbourg during previous minister Sadullah Ergin's term have been dispersed to remote regions in Turkey such as Eastern provinces of Hakkari and Erzurum, and Zonguldak in the north.

The move has sparked controversy as practically punishing the judges and ‘exiling’ them. The HSYK itself has itself received criticism for politicizing the rule of law, with its openly pro-government stance.

Particularly, the move against the judges serving under the General Directorate of Human Rights, the Compensation Commission, is viewed as harmful to Turkey’s cases at the ECHR. The two branches had been a successful defense at the ECHR, winning 3,851 cases. Hmmm....Human Rights and Islamists not a good combination indeed. Read the full story here.