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Turkish Author Sentenced to One Year in Prison for `Blasphemous' Blo

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  • Turkish Author Sentenced to One Year in Prison for `Blasphemous' Blo

    US Official News
    May 25, 2013 Saturday

    Washington: Turkish Author Sentenced to One Year in Prison for
    `Blasphemous' Blog

    Washington

    The Human Rights First has issued the following news release:

    Human Rights First condemns the sentencing of Turkish-Armenian author
    Sevan Nisanyan to thirteen months in prison for `insulting the
    religious beliefs held by a section of society.' Nisanvan was
    convicted under Turkey's anti-blasphemy statutes for a blog he wrote
    last September.

    `The Turkish judiciary is using prison sentences to intimidate those
    who express their views peacefully,' said Human Rights First's Joelle
    Fiss. `This is a worrisome trend. Punishing people for expressing
    their opinions violates international law and and has adverse
    consequences. Nisanvan's conviction should be overturned on appeal.'

    In the offending blog post, Nisanvan wrote, referring to the Prophet
    Mohamed, `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.' According to local
    press, the sentence cannot be converted to a financial penalty, but
    the verdict is open for appeal.
    The blasphemy case comes just one month after the Turkish pianist
    Fazil Say was handed a suspended 10-month prison sentence for `openly
    denigrating Islam' in a series of Tweets.

    Anti-blasphemy laws forbid the criticism or insult of religion, or any
    perceived contempt of religion. In many countries, including Turkey,
    alleged blasphemers may be sentenced to prison terms for expressing
    non-violent opinions. Such laws are a tool for suppressing freedom of
    speech.

    In March 2012, Human Rights First issued an update to its 2011 report
    Blasphemy Laws Exposed: The Consequences of Criminalizing `Defamation
    of Religions,' which documented more than 100 recent cases from 18
    countries that demonstrate the gross abuses that arise from the
    application of national blasphemy laws. The organization notes that
    blasphemy laws are frequently used to stifle debate and dissent,
    harass rivals, and settle petty disputes among neighbors, business
    partners and political adversaries. Increasingly, these laws also
    trigger violence.

    For more information please visit: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org

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