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Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 22 2013
Turkish court hands down prison sentence to Armenian journalist over blasphemy
Turkish-Armenian journalist Sevan NiÅ?anyan (Photo: AA, Metin AktaÅ?)
22 May 2013 /TODAYSZAMAN.COM, Ä°STANBUL
A Turkish court has handed down a prison sentence of one year, 45 days
to Sevan NiÅ?anyan, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, for blasphemous
remarks he made about the Prophet Muhammad in an article he wrote in
his blog last September.
In the article, titled `Hate crimes should be fought,' NiÅ?anyan voiced
his support for a controversial anti-Muslim movie that sparked violent
protests in many Muslim majority countries.
Clips of the movie, posted on YouTube under several titles including
`Innocence of Muslims,' portrayed the Muslim prophet engaged in crude
and offensive behavior. Many Muslims consider any depiction of the
prophet as blasphemous.
NiÅ?anyan said in his column that `mocking an Arab leader who centuries
ago allegedly contacted God and made political, financial and sexual
benefits out of this is not a crime of hatred,' but that it is freedom
of speech.
The 14th Ä°stanbul High Criminal Court decided to give 410 days of
prison time to NiÅ?anyan on Wednesday on charges of `publicly
ridiculing religious values endorsed by one segment of the society.'
The court also refused to postpone the enforcement of the decision,
citing his previous criminal record.
NiÅ?anyan didn't show up in the first court hearing in the Ä°stanbul
court on Wednesday but plaintiffs Birsen Koneralp, Galip KarayiÄ?it,
Hasan Temiz, Veysi Barak and Ali Keskin attended the hearing.
The court initially decided to give NiÅ?anyan a nine-month prison
sentence and increased the punishment by five months as the `crime'
was committed through media.
The indictment prepared by the Ä°stanbul Public Prosecutor's Office
claimed that the article spawned a wave of criticism, reactions and
debates in public and that the column `destroyed the public peace.'
The indictment noted that the writing could not be protected under the
freedom of speech because NiÅ?anyan `exceeded the limits of criticism'
and `publicly ridiculed religious values of one segment of the
society.'
The indictment demanded up to 1.5 years of prison time for NiÅ?anyan.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-316174-turkish-court-hands-down-prison-sentence-to-armenian-journalist-over-blasphemy.html
May 22 2013
Turkish court hands down prison sentence to Armenian journalist over blasphemy
Turkish-Armenian journalist Sevan NiÅ?anyan (Photo: AA, Metin AktaÅ?)
22 May 2013 /TODAYSZAMAN.COM, Ä°STANBUL
A Turkish court has handed down a prison sentence of one year, 45 days
to Sevan NiÅ?anyan, a Turkish-Armenian journalist, for blasphemous
remarks he made about the Prophet Muhammad in an article he wrote in
his blog last September.
In the article, titled `Hate crimes should be fought,' NiÅ?anyan voiced
his support for a controversial anti-Muslim movie that sparked violent
protests in many Muslim majority countries.
Clips of the movie, posted on YouTube under several titles including
`Innocence of Muslims,' portrayed the Muslim prophet engaged in crude
and offensive behavior. Many Muslims consider any depiction of the
prophet as blasphemous.
NiÅ?anyan said in his column that `mocking an Arab leader who centuries
ago allegedly contacted God and made political, financial and sexual
benefits out of this is not a crime of hatred,' but that it is freedom
of speech.
The 14th Ä°stanbul High Criminal Court decided to give 410 days of
prison time to NiÅ?anyan on Wednesday on charges of `publicly
ridiculing religious values endorsed by one segment of the society.'
The court also refused to postpone the enforcement of the decision,
citing his previous criminal record.
NiÅ?anyan didn't show up in the first court hearing in the Ä°stanbul
court on Wednesday but plaintiffs Birsen Koneralp, Galip KarayiÄ?it,
Hasan Temiz, Veysi Barak and Ali Keskin attended the hearing.
The court initially decided to give NiÅ?anyan a nine-month prison
sentence and increased the punishment by five months as the `crime'
was committed through media.
The indictment prepared by the Ä°stanbul Public Prosecutor's Office
claimed that the article spawned a wave of criticism, reactions and
debates in public and that the column `destroyed the public peace.'
The indictment noted that the writing could not be protected under the
freedom of speech because NiÅ?anyan `exceeded the limits of criticism'
and `publicly ridiculed religious values of one segment of the
society.'
The indictment demanded up to 1.5 years of prison time for NiÅ?anyan.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-316174-turkish-court-hands-down-prison-sentence-to-armenian-journalist-over-blasphemy.html