Prison Sentence for Journalist Küçükkaya, Attorney Okan

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In the libel suit filed against journalist İsmail Küçükkaya and attorney Fidel Okan on the ground of their remarks regarding Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya and her husband, Küçükkaya and Okan have been sentenced to 16 months and 20 days in prison on charges of "publicly insulting a public officer" (Turkish Penal Code, Article No. 125) and "publicly insulting institutions and bodies of Republic of Turkey" (Turkish Penal Code, Article No. 301).

As reported by Hürriyet daily newspaper, the 18th Criminal Court of First Instance has suspended the prison sentences.

What happened?

Fox News Host İsmail Küçükkaya reported that he learned from his news sources in Turkey's capital city of Ankara, that the husband of a certain Minister had been using ByLock, an encrypted communication software allegedly used among the members of the Gülen community and claimed that the Minister and her husband had decided to divorce.

Upon the report, rumors spread in the social media that the minister Küçükkaya talked about, was Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya. Sayan-Kaya denied the claims.

Journalist Küçükkaya later apologized on his programme for his remarks on the "divorce decision" but repeated that he stood behind his report, that the minister's husband has used ByLock*. (EA/SD)

* ByLock is an encrypted communication software allegedly used by the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Organization (FETÖ/PDY)". ByLock has been presented as evidence for "illegal organization membership" in investigations and trials of "FETÖ/PDY"