The Superior Council of the Judiciary issued a statement to urge the public to refrain from hurling abuse at four recently arrested judges and the judiciary in general.
The Council, which is the judiciary’s self-governing body, on Tuesday offered its formal consent to four judges being prosecuted on corruption charges. But, according to the statement, the consent should not be interpreted as “an authorization for lynching by media or for aggressive behavior” against those arrested.
The Council also stressed that the four judges should enjoy the presumption of innocence.
As the four judges were being detained, the Council said that insults were hurled at them in the lobby of the courthouse. Later, as the story hit the headlines and became a hot topic on social media, the insults from the public multiplied.
“Apparently the law enforcement failed to intervene in order to prevent and stop verbal abuse (and) hate speech against the entire judicial body”, the statement reads.
“The Council disapproves and condemns any assault on the integrity of the judiciary and urges prosecutors and investigators to protect the personal lives of the concerned persons so as not to create conditions for trial by television, where the presumption of innocence would be violated. We also recommend the administrators of social media accounts, as well as the media organizations, to moderate the discussions on social media and prevent a spillover of hate speech against the entire judiciary”, the Council urged.
