The new Turkey
More academics given jail terms for signing peace petition

15-Mar-2019 13:50

12-13-14 February 2019:


 
Courts in Istanbul during the past week imposed jail sentences on seven more academics who have been standing trial for signing 2016’s petition by the Academics for Peace initiative.
 
On 14 February, the 32nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul convicted Mehmet Şiray of “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist group” and gave the academic a prison sentence of 1 year and 3 months. The court deferred the sentence.
 
On 13 February, the 36th High Criminal Court of Istanbul convicted academics Tahsin Yeşildere, S.Y. and M.G. of the same charge and gave each academic a 15-month sentence. All three sentences were deferred.
 
On 12 February, three more academics were handed down prison sentences.
The 36th High Criminal Court of Istanbul convicted retired Professor Bülent Tanju of the “propaganda” charge and gave him a prison sentence of 1-and-a-half years, which it then reduced to 15 months. The court deferred the sentence.
 
The 37th High Criminal Court of Istanbul found academic Hatice Kurtuluş Aydal guilty of the “propaganda” charge and imposed on Aydal a prison sentence of 1-and-a-half years. The court did not grant a reduction but ruled to defer the sentence.
 
Gülsün Güvenli was also found guilty by the trial court, which gave the academic a 15-month sentence and ruled to defer the sentence. In what marked an unprecedented ruling, the court also ordered that Güvenli pay a condolence visit to the relatives of a martyred Turkish soldier.

Source: http://platform24.org/en/articles/721/freedom
-of-expression-and-the-press-in-turkey---178