Türkiye: Released teenager who "insulted" President Erdogan
(Baonghean) - On Friday, December 26, Mehmet Emin Altunses, a 16-year-old youth who was prosecuted and imprisoned on Wednesday for "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was released. According to CNN-Turk, Altunses was released before the Konya City Court - a stronghold of the Islamic regime and Altunses' parents took him home.
Mehmet Emin Altunses is the first person to be arrested for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Wednesday, December 24, a court indicted Altunses for publicly denouncing Türkiye’s strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as a “thief, bribe-taker and corrupt leader.” Altunses is known to be a member of a left-wing movement.
| RELATED NEWS |
|---|
 |
| President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: internet |
Altunses was arrested by police at his school and immediately brought to trial. Despite pleading not guilty and his lawyer saying the allegations against him had been widely circulated on Turkish social media, Altunses was still detained. Charged with “insulting” President Erdogan, the 16-year-old faces up to four years in prison.
The government’s arrest of Altunses has been strongly criticized by the opposition, who have denounced the action as a “fascist” act by the conservative Islamic regime. In addition to the opposition, the Erdogan government’s arrest has also been harshly criticized on social media. In addition to the arrest of Mehmet Emin Altunses on Wednesday, the following day, three of Altunses’ friends were arrested for protesting the government’s arrest.
President Erdogan, who has led Türkiye since 2003, has been repeatedly criticized for his “dictatorial” actions. Especially in the summer of 2013, many protests broke out across the country to protest against Erdogan’s “dictatorial” and “Islamist” government. In 2013-2014, a major corruption case involving President Erdogan’s cabinet was exposed. However, the trial of the people involved in the corruption case has disappointed the opposition. President Erdogan has justified that the investigation into the scandal is actually aimed at overthrowing his government.
Chu Thanh
(According to LeMonde December 26)
