Arrested Over a Tweet, Journalist Hakan Aygün Released

* Photo: Osman Uras / AA

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Arrested on April 3, journalist Hakan Aygün had his hearing today (May 6). Announcing its interim judgement, the Bodrum 3rd Penal Court of First Instance has ruled that Aygün shall be released.

The journalist was arrested in early April over a tweet where he mocked the fundraising campaign launched by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to help the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The journalist was charged with "degrading religious values" as per the Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) due to his tweet where he made a wordplay on IBAN and Turkish word "iman", meaning belief.

Held in Muğla Prison, Aygün attended today's hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) due to coronavirus.

Announcing its verdict, the Bodrum 3rd Penal Court of First Instance has ruled that Aygün shall be released considering the time he has already served in prison and on the ground that he has no suspicion of escape.

The court has also ruled that a writ shall be sent to the Department for Fighting Against Cyber Crimes and the results of the examination be requested. The next hearing will be held on July 14, 2020.

What happened?

Journalist Hakan Aygün was arrested on April 3, 2020 over his tweets on a fundraising campaign launched by President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Erdoğan had asked citizens to put money into a bank account, giving an international bank account number (IBAN).

In a tweet he posted on March 31, Aygün made a wordplay on IBAN and "iman," which means "belief" in Turkish and mostly used in a religious manner. He wrote about an imaginary "IBAN section" of Quran, saying those who "IBAN" and those who "don't IBAN" would be "separated in the afterlife."

In another tweet on April 2, he said he did not originally write the message but tweeted it after it was sent to him.

Following a criminal complaint to İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Hakan Aygün was taken into custody in the western Muğla province. A penal court of peace remanded him in custody on the same day for "provoking people into enmity and hatred" and "insult."

Mustafa Doğan, an attorney who filed the complaint against Aygün, had claimed that the tweets Aygün posted after President Erdoğan's campaign exceeded the limits of criticism and were humiliating, unrealistic and encouraging criminal activities. (HA/SD)