Sabri Uzun acquitted of insulting the President, sentenced to 5 months for degrading the Turkish Nation

12punto.com.tr Müyesser YILDIZ

Former Police General Directorate Intelligence Department Head Sabri Uzun, who faced trial due to a social media post questioning Turkey's commercial relations with Israel while the Gaza genocide was ongoing, has been acquitted of the charge of insulting the President, but was sentenced to 5 months in prison for the charge of degrading the Turkish Nation. It was noted that the lawyer for the Presidency, who requested that Uzun also be punished for insulting the President, stated that even though no name was mentioned in the post, the perception it created in the public eye was significant.

During the period last year when commercial relations with Israel were being debated, Sabri Uzun made a post stating, "The father sent fuel and steel to Israel; he was applauded. The son protested Israel; he was applauded. Such a nation deserves not democracy, but the rule of a Sultan. This is what an uneducated society is like."

One day later, an investigation was launched against Uzun by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of "insulting the President," and he was detained at his home in Ankara and taken to Istanbul.

While Uzun was released under judicial control with a travel ban, the subsequent indictment sought a prison sentence ranging from 1 year and 8 months to 6 years and 8 months for both "publicly insulting the President" and "publicly degrading the Turkish Nation."

PRESIDENTIAL LAWYER CITED "PUBLIC PERCEPTION"

Following the "lack of jurisdiction" decision by the Istanbul 18th Criminal Court of First Instance, the case was opened at the Ankara 44th Criminal Court of First Instance. In the first hearing held on November 28, Sabri Uzun emphasized that he did not intend to refer to the President or any other authority, and further noted that he used the word "oğlan" (boy/lad) in his post, not "oğul" (son).

In today's hearing of the case, the Prosecutor presented their final opinion, requesting that Uzun be acquitted of the charge of insulting the President as the elements of the crime were not present, but that he be punished for degrading the Turkish Nation due to his expressions, "Such a nation deserves not democracy, but the rule of a Sultan. This is what an uneducated society is like."

Stating that they did not agree with the Prosecutor's opinion, the lawyer for the Presidency argued that Sabri Uzun should also be punished for insulting the President due to the perception created in the public eye, even if no name was mentioned in the post.

Sabri Uzun, for his part, requested an acquittal, stating, "The term 'Turkish Nation' does not even appear in my post. Therefore, the accusation of degrading the Turkish Nation is not realistic." His lawyer, Muzaffer Özbayrak, presented to the court an acquittal decision previously issued by the 4th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation in a case where Sabri Uzun was charged with insulting the President, arguing that it would be unnecessary to punish Uzun despite this definitive precedent.

At the end of the hearing, it was decided that Sabri Uzun be acquitted of the charge of insulting the President, but sentenced to 5 months in prison for the charge of degrading the Turkish Nation, with this sentence being converted into a fine.

News Source: 12punto