‘How Many People are Behind Bars for “Insulting the President”?’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the 28-month prison sentence given to a citizen for "insulting the President" after s/he wrote on social media, "Forget about the gasoline, we have the most expensive President of the world."

According to the parliamentary question of Danış Beştaş, a person named V.E. was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison by the Baykan Penal Court of First Instance after posting the above message on Facebook on November 7, 2016. V.E. was charged with "insulting the President."

Danış Beştaş has underlined that the offense of "insulting the President" as per the Article 299 of Turkish Penal Code (TCK) should be repealed.

'Are these cases followed from a special center?'

Underlining that insulting politicians should not be considered a crime according to universal legal principles, Danış Beştaş has asked a series of questions to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül, including the following:

* Since the day when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was elected President, how many people have been detained, arrested or convicted as per the Article 299 of the TCK? What is the length of prison terms given to the convicts?

* How many people are currently behind bars on charge of insulting the President? How many people have been investigated on that charge?

* How many people have been acquitted and how many of them have been penalized as per the Article 299 of the TCK?

* How many lawsuits were filed on that charge before Erdoğan took office as the President? How many people were convicted on that charge in the related period?

* Are the lawsuits filed for insulting the President followed from a special center? How many people have been appointed to follow them?

9 journalists faced 46 years in prison in 3 months

According to the January-February-March 2019 BİA Media Monitoring Report, in the last three months, nine journalists faced a total of 46 years and 8 months in prison because of their views and criticism on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; while one of them was acquitted, three were sentenced to pay a fine of 28 thousand Turkish liras.

Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which began to be used against publications and thoughts on Erdoğan after he was elected President in August 2014, provided a basis for imprisonment, deferred imprisonment, a pecuniary fine of at least 57 journalists.

Throughout 2018, at least 20 journalists were sentenced to a total of 38 years, 5 months, 4 days (6 years, 10 months, 12 days deferred) and a judiciary fine of 35 thousand liras on this charge. (AS/SD)