Seventy-eight-year-old Ali Ergin G. was given a jail sentence of eight years, two months by a Turkish court for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on social media, according to a report by the Cumhuriyet daily.
Insulting the president is subject to criminal charges under Turkish law, and Turkey’s strongman has sued critics, including ordinary citizens, in large numbers for allegedly insulting him. His lawyers have filed more than 1,800 cases against people, including schoolchildren and a former Miss Turkey.
In his defence, Ali Ergin G. said that only some of the messages on social media pertaining to Turkey’s strongman belonged to him and others were posted without his knowledge. The public prosecutor requested Ali Ergin G.’s prison sentence be reconsidered based on the defendant’s age. The case has been postponed to a later date. (SCF with Ahval)
