Citizen placed under house arrest over a social media post about Erdoğan’s health

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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After President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Saturday (February 5) that he and his spouse Emine Erdoğan have tested positive for COVID-19, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices of İstanbul and Ankara have launched investigations into social media messages regarding Erdoğan's health condition.

Taken into custody in İstanbul for allegedly "posting a social media message that constitutes a crime", a citizen named Pınar Ö. has been placed under house arrest by the court that she was referred to.

Pınar Ö. was detained in the evening on Saturday and referred to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan yesterday after the related formalities at the İstanbul Security Directorate had been completed.

The prosecutor's office referred Pınar Ö. to the İstanbul 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on charge of "insulting the President".

In her testimony, Pınar Ö. said, "I did not know that the hashtag helva (a dessert traditionally cooked and eaten after one's passing) was about the President catching the disease. When I saw the hashtag and as things are not okay between me and my boyfriend, I wrote something like that, thinking that he would see it. I did not intend the President with my tweet. I do not accept the charged offense. I am innocent; I request my release."

Testing positive for COVID-19, Pınar Ö. has been placed under house arrest on charge of "insulting the President". (RT/SD)