BirGün newspaper columnist Seray Şahiner is about to face charges for writing an article on August 7 on the opening of more religious schools in Turkey.

The newspaper wrote that an indictment has been drafted by Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office and sent to Istanbul 2nd Assize Court.

Crime to call Bilal Erdoğan “genius”

If admitted, the indictment will charge Şahiner with prison sentence for criticizing the distortion of Istanbul’s silhouette, the opening of more religious schools [İmam Hatip Schools] as well as the use of excessive force against dissidents.

“It has been a while there are any leaked voice recordings. In the last one, we have observed the genius Bilal Erdoğan was redesigning the education system on his own, I guess these opinions are genetical in this family,” she wrote.

The indictment cited that the expression “genius” meant to be humiliating and degrading - a case that is not within the limits of freedom of expression accordingly.

Şahiner wrote a defense statement to the prosecutor’s office, saying that she harshly criticized the revisions made and planned in the education system and previous ECHR rulings were towards a tolerance on harsh and satirical criticism. She also requested her article to be considered within the limits of freedom of expression. (EÖ/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.