Singer Gülşen released to house arrest after four days in jail
Photo: AA/File
Examining an appeal against her arrest, a court has decided to release pop singer Gülşen Bayraktar-Çolakoğlu, widely known as Gülşen, to house arrest.
The singer was arrested on Friday (August 25) for "inciting the public into hatred and animosity" over a joke about Türkiye's religious vocational schools, known as the "imam-hatip" schools.
Her lawyer filed an appeal with the İstanbul 26th Penal Court of First Instance on August 26, demanding her release. The court examined the application today and decided to implement judicial control measures on the singer.
On Friday, the pro-government media and social media accounts began circulating a video excerpt from a concert of Gülşen on on April 30, where she jokes about the "imam-hatip" schools. It was quickly followed by an ex officio investigation by İstanbul prosecutors.
In the video, the Gülşen is seen saying, "He had studied at a imam-hatip school before. This is where his perversion comes from," sparking laughter from the audience.
İmam-hatip schools are religious vocational schools training Muslim clerics and preachers. Most of Türkiye's senior government officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are graduates of imam-hatips.
What happened?• Pro-government media and social media accounts began to circulate a video excerpt from an April 30 concert of Gülşen, where she jokingly called an "imam-hatip" graduate a "pervert" • Senior government officials condemned Gülşen over her remarks • Prosecutors quickly opened an investigation, with the singer being detained and brought to the courthouse. A judgeship ordered her arrest for "inciting the people into hatred and animosity" • In her testimony, she said it was an "unfortunate joke" and demanded her release. The court ruled for her arrest • Gülşen has long been targeted by pro-government circles because of her support for LGBTI+ rights and stage costumes |
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