Writer Hamide Yiğit Sentenced to Prison

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Hamide Yiğit, a columnist at the Sendika.org news website and an expert in Middle Eastern affairs, has been sentenced to 7 months and 15 days in prison for "having denigrated the state and government of Turkey" by sharing the cover of the 3rd edition of her book "AKP'nin Suriye Savaşı" (Syria War of the Justice and Development Party) on social media.

In her last hearing held at the Ankara 44th Penal Court of First Instance today (December 17), the court board ruled that Hamide Yiğit committed the offence of "openly denigrating the state and government of the Republic of Turkey" as per the Article no. 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

Post about Davutoğlu cited as element of crime

The other social media posts, which were shared by Yiğit and regarded as elements of crime by the court, are as follows:

* The social media post, where she used the photograph of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu, which was captured while he was talking about Reyhanlı massacre with a smile, along with another post by Community Houses, which stated, "We will not forget it".

* The social media post, where she wrote "Down with your election" and which she shared along with a video, in which the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in Dağlıca were crying for their losses ahead of November 1, 2015 general elections.

* The social media post, where she shared the banner of the "Protest against Train-Equip Project", which was permitted by Hatay Governorship.

* The social media post, where she wrote "Free press cannot be silenced" and which shared along with the statement for the press entitled "We will not keep silent" released by sendika.org news website in response to an access ban imposed on the website.

Hamide Yiğit was previously sentenced to 1 year, 3 months and 15 days in prison on charge of "insulting the President." (EMK/SD)