He had said 'I do not deem Erdoğan worthy of that seat': Prison sentence for İlyas Salman

The trial of veteran actor İlyas Salman, who is being tried on allegations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Salman's lawyer and the lawyer for President and AKP Chairman Erdoğan were present at the hearing.

WHY WAS SALMAN FACING A SENTENCE?

In their opinion on the merits, the prosecution stated that the statements made by Salman in an interview he gave to a newspaper on August 1, 2022, contained disparagement directed at the President. It was argued that these expressions, particularly those appearing in the news report titled "I do not deem Erdoğan worthy of that seat," were evaluated within the scope of the crime of insult. 

REQUEST FOR UP TO 4 YEARS AND 8 MONTHS IN PRISON  

The Public Prosecutor requested that İlyas Salman be sentenced to between 1 year and 2 months and 4 years and 8 months in prison on the charge of "publicly insulting the President." The defendant's lawyer requested additional time to prepare a defense against the prosecutor's opinion. The court panel accepted the request for additional time for the defense and adjourned the case to a later date.

News Source: 12punto