Three Turkish academics were sentenced to one year and three months in prison on 23 February, in a hearing at the İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Courthouse in a trial where they were charged with "terror propaganda."
İstanbul University research assistants Ayda Rona and Ezgi Pınar and retired Istanbul University professor İzzettin Önder were given the sentence under Turkey's Counterrorterrorsim Law 7/2, which criminalizes supporting the convictions of groups which are considered as terrorist organizations.
The sentences were deferred, meaning they will not actually serve in prison unless they repeat the crime in the near future.
The three academics are among more than 1000 who signed a petition in early 2016 calling for an end to destructive operations that were conducted by the Turkish military in the country's mainly Kurdish-populated provinces, during which many civilians were allegedly killed.
Academics have been appearing one after another in Turkish courts since December 2017. This was the first time a conviction came out in the more recent trials.
Usually, the only outlets which send reporters to the trials are Bianet, Sendika.org and Evrensel. This report was compiled from reports in Bianet and Sendika.org.
