Turkish top court: Rights of jailed new parliamentary deputy Atalay violated

FILE PHOTO: Workers' Party of Turkey MPs display a portrait of Can Atalay, a jailed party member newly elected to parliament, during a swearing-in ceremony in parliament in Ankara, Turkey, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that the imprisonment of newly elected opposition lawmaker Can Atalay violated his rights to security, liberty and the right to be elected.

Atalay, 47, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in April 2022 after being convicted of trying to overthrow the government by organising the nationwide Gezi Park protests in 2013 along with Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and six others.