Columnist Eygi Gets 1 Year Jail

Pro-Islamic "Milli Gazete" columnist Mehmet Sevket Eygi has been sentenced to 1 year imprisonment after being found guilty for "inciting hatred and enmity" in a March 20, 2005 dated article titled "No Effort or Patriotism Left. His lawyer Ali Cahit Polat said they would appeal against the decision.

The Istanbul Bakirkoy 2nd Court of First Instance heard the public case this Tuesday where Republic Prosecutor Suat Baki Baskan read his opinion that the offence of inciting hatred and enmity among the people, based on religious and sectarian differences, had been committed.

Judge Ruveyde Kaner, taking into account "the way the offence was committed, the importance of the offence and the purpose of the defendant" passed a 1 year jail sentence verdict for Eygi and concluded that as the court was not of the opinion that a similar offence would not be committed by the author in the future, the prison sentence would not be deferred.

The case against Eygi was opened in April 2005. (KO/TK/II/YE)