ODTÜ Students Who Protested Erdoğan Jailed

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45 Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) students who protested President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his prime ministerial term have been each sentenced to 10 months in prison.

The suit brought against the 45 students was heard at Ankara 14th Criminal Court of First Instance.

Defense attorneys demanded acquittal at the hearing, stating that their clients didn’t commit a crime.

While three of the defendant’s attorneys demanded that the verdict announcement be deferred, the rest did not.

After hearing all the statements, judge Avni Mis handed down a 10-month jail term to every defendant on charges of “Opposing the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting a civil servant to prevent him/her from performing his/her duty”.

Mis deferred the announcement of the verdict as to the penalty handed down to the defendants. (HK/TK)