16-year-old Turkish high school student on Tuesday has been arrested and sent behind bars after drawing a mustache and writing offensive remarks on a campaign poster featuring President Tayyip Erdogan.
Following reports of a defaced poster in Turkey’s southern Mersin province, the local police launched an investigation. They examined surveillance camera footage in the area and identified the teenager responsible for the act. The student, whose identity has not been disclosed, was subsequently taken into custody.
After being questioned by the Child Police Department, the high school student was transferred to the courthouse. The court decided to jail the teenager on charges of “insulting a public official” and “insulting the President.”
1,075 CHILDREN WERE PROSECUTED IN 2022
This incident reflects the broader trend of increasing prosecutions for insulting the President in Turkey. In 2022 alone, 16,753 individuals faced legal proceedings for such charges. Among them, a significant number were children.
According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Justice, a total of 1,075 children were prosecuted in 2022 for crimes including “insulting the President,” “disrespecting the symbols of state sovereignty,” “insulting the Turkish nation,” and “insulting the Republic of Turkey and its institutions.”
Of the children facing charges, 53 were between the ages of 12 and 14, while 1,022 were between the ages of 15 and 17. These figures have sparked concerns among human rights organizations, who argue that the prosecution of children for expressing their opinions violates their rights and restricts freedom of speech.
Source: Gerçek News
