Insult Laws in the European Union
A SILENT THREAT
In late 2006 and early 2007, reacting to international
concern at the scores of trials against writers and
journalists accused of ‘insult to Turkishness’ under
Turkey’s notorious Article 301, Turkish government
officials, including the President, made public comments
referring to countries in the EU that have similar insult
laws in their statute books. The question they asked
was: how could people in these countries complain about
Turkey when they themselves have similar laws?