Belgium court sentences man to 6-month in prison over online threats targeting Gülen followers
Date posted: March 25, 2018
A local court in Belgium’s Limburg province has given 6-month jail time plus 600 euros fine to a 37-year-old man who threatened Gulen supporters online.
“Come on, traitors, I’m waiting for you,” the man sent threats, via Facebook messages, to members of the Vuslat, an association affiliated with the Gulen movement supporters in Belgium, a day after the July 15, 2016 failed coup.
Meanwhile, he posted a picture of him posing alongside a firearm, Turkish flag and some ammunition.
The prison sentence was postponed while he is required to pay 600 euros as well as hearing costs, Brussels-based Het Laatste Nieuws said March 22.
Turkish government blames the Gulen movement for the July 15, 2016 failed attempt while the latter denies involvement.
More than 150,000 people have been detained over Gulen links so far.
UN representative found evidence of torture in Turkish prisons
The majority of the abuse occurred during the times of arrest and interrogation, his report noted, adding that most of those who have been subjected to torture have not filed complaints “for fear of retaliation against them and their families and because of their distrust in the independence of the prosecution and the judiciary.
Council of Europe warns against hate speech by senior state officials in Turkey
The human rights body of the Council of Europe, the Commission against Racism and Intolerance, issued a report on Wednesday about the increasing use of hate speech, even by senior state officials. While President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the Gülen sympathizers “viruses,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım labeled them microbes. The movement is the main target of a massive purge and witch-hunt in Turkey.
Cleric Accused Of Plotting Turkish Coup Attempt: ‘I Have Stood Against All Coups’
“If they ask me what my final wish is,” Gulen added, “I would say the person who caused all this suffering and oppressed thousands of innocents, I want to spit in his face.” When asked if he was referring to Erdogan, he replied: “It can’t be anyone else. He is the oppressor.”
Cambodia’s Zaman Institutes Get Big-Name Backing
A couple with close ties to the prime minister have taken leading roles in Zaman-operated schools in Cambodia, a move likely to weaken the position of Turkish authorities who want the schools shut down for their alleged links to “terrorism.”
Animation – Story of Turkish teacher Gokhan Acikkollu, tortured to death under police custody
Gökhan Açıkkollu, a history teacher suffering from diabetes, died of torture in police custody as part of a post-coup investigation into Turkey’s Gülen group. He was found innocent one-and-a-half years later and “reinstated” to his job a year later.
British politician Duff: So easy for some Turkish media to misreport
In a written statement to Today’s Zaman, the veteran British politician Andrew Duff, who is also the president of the Union of European Federalists, underlined that during the interview with Sabah, he also praised the “charitable works of the Hizmet movement and the fact that many honest businessmen and decent democrats were members of the movement” while also stressing the need for more transparency.
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