Nasuh Mahruki, a renowned mountaineer and founder of the Turkish Search and Rescue Association (AKUT), has been handed down a suspended sentence of nearly one year for spreading disinformation due to his social media criticism of the country’s election authority, Turkish Minute reported.
Mahruki, who spent two weeks in pretrial detention late last year, was investigated for his posts questioning election security. He was released from custody on December 5. In his posts, he criticized Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) for its plans to introduce an electronic voting system, raising concerns about the security of elections if such a system were implemented.
“Great Turkish nation, be alert and vigilant. The government and the YSK are setting up one last scheme to steal the elections. If not monitored, our votes will be stolen, replaced with fakes and the election unlawfully won again. This would mark the end of the Republic of Turkey, with consequences more terrifying than your worst nightmares,” he warned on X.
Mahruki faced a prison sentence of between one and three years under Article 217 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for “publicly disseminating misleading information.”
During the latest hearing at the İstanbul 15th Penal Court of First Instance on Friday, Mahruki denied the charges, claiming that the concerns he raised about election security were not only voiced by him but also discussed in academic and other circles.
“Is it a crime when I say it? In addition, for such a crime to exist, there must be misleading information. My posts do not contain any misleading information; they are all my personal opinions,” Mahruki said.
He also claimed that he had been subjected to unlawful treatment throughout the investigation and asked for his acquittal.
Despite his defense, the court convicted him and handed down a suspended sentence of 11 months, 20 days.
Mahruki’s conviction comes amid growing pressure on opposition figures and government critics in Turkey, where investigations and operations against dissenters have intensified. Many believe these legal actions are politically motivated.
Over the past decade Turkey has enacted increasingly strict laws targeting digital platforms, particularly with the introduction of a 2022 “disinformation law,” which criminalizes the dissemination of “false or misleading information” and carries prison sentences of up to three years. Critics argue that these laws are used to suppress dissent and silence opposition voices.
The government has also significantly increased its monitoring of online activity, with thousands of social media users investigated annually for posts critical of authorities or state institutions.
Mahruki, a professional mountaineer, writer, photographer and documentary filmmaker, is best known for becoming the first Turkish person to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven traditional continents.
