Eylem Sonbahar
Sezai Sarıoğlu, who was acquitted four years ago in a case over alleged "propaganda," has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison after Turkey's Court of Cassation overturned his acquittal.
The retrial took place at the Istanbul 35th High Criminal Court, where Sarıoğlu faced charges of "spreading terrorist propaganda" over his social media posts. The investigation was launched after his posts were reported to Turkey’s Presidential Communication Center (CİMER).
At the hearing, Sarıoğlu began his defense by questioning the use of the term "terrorism," calling it problematic and ambiguous. "Everyone interprets and uses it in their own way. First and foremost, I am a socialist. I have lived my life as a socialist, a poet, and a storyteller. I reject the accusation," he stated.
The prosecutor, reiterating the final opinion previously presented on Dec. 10, argued that Sarıoğlu’s Facebook posts from 2014 and 2015 legitimized violence and encouraged others to adopt such methods. The prosecution claimed that the posts aimed to increase sympathy for and provide active support to the outlawed group in question.
The court sentenced Sarıoğlu to 1 year and 6 months in prison but postponed the announcement of the verdict, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless he commits another offense within a set probation period.
