A former top judge who was jailed as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s post-coup crackdown has been sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in prison, on Tuesday.
Former Council of State member Mithat Ozcan was convicted of membership to the Gulen movement, a broadened terror charge the Turkish government often uses to imprison its critics.
Akkus was
first given 7.5 years in jail and the court in charge increased its sentence to
over 10 years using discretionary power in compliance with the anti-terror law
and reduced it to 8 years and 9 months due to Ozcan’s good conduct during hearings.
Turkish
government accuses the movement of masterminding the July 15, 2016 failed coup
while the latter denies involvement.
Earlier, Ozcan appealed his imprisonment to European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the grounds that he is not able to access proper treatment for his medical problems but the court turned down his request.
The Turkish
government accuses the Gulen movement of being behind the July 15, 2016 failed
coup. The latter denies involvement.
More than
150,000 people have passed through police custody and some 90,000 have been
remanded in pre-trial detention.