Baransu Fined for Insulting Emine Erdoğan

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Imprisoned journalist, Mehmet Baransu, has been fined on the grounds of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan; the court hasn’t postponed the penalty over “inclination to crime”.

The trial, which Baransu is being tried over “slander and insult via Internet” because of his Twitter post on December 27, 2013, was heard in Ankara 8th Criminal Court of First Instance.

According to CNN Türk’s report, Erdoğan’s attorney Burhanettin Sevencan claimed Baransu’s tweet is out of freedom of expression and that his defenses are to “get rid of the punishment”.

The court has fined Baransu for 980 euros over “overtly insult”.

The court in its ruling stated that “the defendant has the tendency to commit crime” and that didn’t postpone the penalty.

Baransu is imprisoned as of March 2 for “providing information that have to remain confidential with respect to state security, internal and external political interests” within the scope of Balyoz case. (EA/TK)