Prison sentence for former Yeni Asya newspaper Editor-in-Chief Kazım Güleçyüz
Former Yeni Asya newspaper Editor-in-Chief Kazım Güleçyüz was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charges of engaging in FETÖ propaganda by wishing mercy upon FETÖ ringleader Fethullah Gülen on social media. While the court sentenced Güleçyüz and Ömer Demir for terrorist organization propaganda, it acquitted the other two defendants.
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The trial of former Yeni Asya newspaper Editor-in-Chief Kazım Güleçyüz, who was accused of engaging in propaganda for the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) by wishing mercy upon its ringleader Fethullah Gülen on social media on October 21, 2024, and making posts under the guise of condolences, has concluded. Non-detained defendants Emrullah Altug, Kazım Güleçyüz, Ömer Demir, and Rasih Yılmaz were present at the hearing held at the Istanbul 28th High Criminal Court. Defense attorneys for the defendants also attended the court.
THEY REQUESTED ACQUITTAL
When asked for their final statements during the hearing, the defendants stated that they reiterated their previous defenses and requested their acquittal from the court.
1 YEAR 3 MONTHS PRISON SENTENCE FOR 2 DEFENDANTS
Announcing its verdict, the court sentenced defendants Kazım Güleçyüz and Ömer Demir to 1 year and 3 months in prison for the crime of 'engaging in terrorist organization propaganda.' The court decided to defer the announcement of the verdict for defendant Güleçyüz regarding this charge.
ACQUITTAL FOR 2 DEFENDANTS
The panel also ruled for the acquittal of defendant Emrullah Altug on the charge of 'engaging in terrorist organization propaganda' on the grounds that the act was not defined as a crime in the law, while it decided to acquit defendant Rasih Yılmaz of the same charge on the grounds that it was not certain that the crime was committed by the defendant.
FROM THE INDICTMENT
Emrullah Altug, Kazım Güleçyüz, Ömer Demir, and Rasih Yılmaz were listed as 'suspects' in the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
In the prepared indictment, it was noted that as a result of the examination of the suspects' social media accounts, it was determined that they made publications, shared images, and wrote posts in a manner that constituted terrorist organization propaganda, and that by making posts under the guise of so-called condolences, they engaged in activities that legitimized the acts of force and violence committed by the FETÖ/PDY terrorist organization.
The indictment requested that the 4 suspects be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 1 year and 6 months to 7 years and 6 months each for the crime of 'engaging in terrorist organization propaganda.'