Punitive Fine for Calling Bilal Erdoğan ‘Genius’

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BirGün daily author Seray Şahiner has been sentenced to a punitive fine in amount of 800 euro for calling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan “genius” in her article on August 7 criticizing transforming schools into religious vocational high schools.

İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of Peace has sentenced Şahiner on ground of her expression “Bilal Erdoğan whose geniusity we have witnessed through tapes earlier”.

“Criticized avoiding mixed-sex-education”

Talking to bianet, Şahiner has pointed out that she has penned her article in times in which opening religious vocational high schools was intensified and that she had aimed at supporting a protest against transforming Yeşilbahar Primary School to a religious vocational high school which was on the agenda back then and intended to criticize avoiding secular and mixed-sex-education.

Regarding the defamation lawsuit brought before court on ground of the expression “genius”, Şahiner has remarked “My intelligence falls short to comprehend this”. (EA/DG)