The chairman of a religious foundation in Turkey who is also a fierce government critic Alparslan Kuytul has been released pending trial by a local court after spending nearly two years behind bars.
The Adana 4th High Criminal Court on Thursday ruled to release Kuytul, the leader of the Furkan Foundation and imposed a ban on his leaving the country.
Openly operating in Turkey since 1994, the Furkan Foundation is an establishment of a religious community.
Kuytul, who was being kept in a prison in Turkey’s northwest, attended Thursday’s hearing via an online video conference system called SEGBIS.
The decision of the court was announced on the preacher’s official Twitter account on Thursday and he was released from the Bolu F-Type Prison later in the day.
Along with Kuytul, the 44 other defendants of the case were also released from prison pending trial.
The religious leader faces five to 21 years in prison on charges that include establishing and managing a terrorist organization, counterfeiting private documents and laundering of assets acquired from an offense.
Turkish police on January 30 last year detained dozens of Furkan Foundation’s directors and members, including Kuytul who is known for his opposition to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which he once referred to as the Development with Oppression Party.
After his detention, the preacher was charged by the Turkish prosecutors with inciting hatred and insulting the president. The authorities also shut down his religious foundation.
Kuytul was released by a court pending trial back in January only to be arrested again soon afterward over an objection from a prosecutor.
“From now on, hopefully, we’ll be together, if they do not arrest me again,” Kuytul on Thursday said in a tweet.
Tekrar tutuklamazlarsa, inşallah bundan sonra beraberiz… pic.twitter.com/ava4qZAfbg
— Alparslan Kuytul (@alparslankuytul) December 6, 2019
His followers also said in a statement issued after his release that they “beg Allah for the freedom of victims who were unlawfully imprisoned.”
Court rules for continuation of anti-government preacher’s detention
The post Turkey releases anti-government preacher after 22 months in prison appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/12/06/turkey-releases-anti-government-preacher-after-22-months-in-prison/
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