Tried for having "insulted" Erdogan, two actors acquitted
Between 2014 and 2019, nearly 28,000 people were prosecuted for "insulting" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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In Turkey, two famous actors prosecuted for "insulting the head of state" were acquitted on Monday March 1 by a court in Istanbul.
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With our correspondent in Istanbul,
Anne Andlauer
Müjdat Gezen and Metin Akpinar have distinguished themselves on stage, in series and in cinema for more than half a century.
Several generations of Turks appreciate their game, their humor and their outspokenness.
But he almost took them to prison.
In December 2018, on a television set, the two men did not hide their opposition to Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“
Stay in your place,
” Müjdat Gezen had launched to the president.
Metin Akpinar, more vehemently, had spoken of the fate of certain leaders in non-democratic regimes.
"
The leader could end up hanging by his feet or poisoned in a cellar,
" he warned.
Because of these words, Müjdat Gezen and Metin Akpinar were prosecuted for "
insult to the head of state ”.
But while the prosecution called for the maximum sentence, four years in prison, an Istanbul court finally acquitted them.
Nothing guaranteed this verdict.
According to the latest official figures, between the election of Tayyip Erdogan to the presidency in August 2014 and the end of 2019, more than 27,700 people were prosecuted for "insult".
More than 9,500 of them were convicted, against 4,300 who received an acquittal.
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Turkey
Justice
Recep Tayyip Erdogan