Reporters Without Borders condemned Sevan Nişanyan’s conviction to 13.5 months of prison for insulting Prophet Mohammed.
“Nişanyan's conviction to prison sentence is a severe violation of freedom of expression and it poses a threat message to other journalists and blogger in the country. This verdict must be overturned in the Appeals Court. Penalization of criticism against Islam does not suit to a secular country like Turkey,” Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.
“We appreciate the weakening of rigid taboos on Kemalism, secularism nationalism and militarism, but democracy will not profit if they will be replaced by religious censures.”
“We are calling lawmakers in Turkey to cancel Turkish Penal Code Article 216 immediately. This article is the basis of these rising prosecutions.”
“Ridiculing with an Arab leader who claimed to have contacted God and gained political, financial and sexual gains from it. This is kindergarten level example of expression freedom,” Nişanyan wrote on 29 September 2012 in his article called “We should battle hate crimes”.
Following the release of the article, 15 individuals separately filed complaints against Nişanyan for “openly insulting religious values of a certain faction of the society”.
Istanbul 14th Peace Court convicted author Sevan Nişanyan to 13.5 months of prison for insulting Prophet Mohammed in one of his articles.
While Nişanyan’s sentence can not be commuted to a fine due to a previous judgement.
In April famous pianist Fazıl Say was also convicted to 10 months of prison for “insulting religious values” through his twitter messages. (EA/BM)
