Conviction for “black wreath”

People who put black wreath in front of Agos and released threat messages on April 24, 2015 are convicted for threat and public insult on the basis of difference of race and religion. 

The court ruled for the minimum sentence, which it also reduced and reprieved. 

Nationalist Turkey Party Istanbul Chair Bilal Gökçeyurt and the chair of so-called Turan Organization Ercan Uçar, who put black wreath in front of Agos on April 24, 2015 and made threatening statements, are convicted for threat and public insult on the basis of difference of race and religion.

On November 18, 2016, the suspects were acquitted and the Court of Appeals reversed this judgment. Reviewing the case, the court declared its decision on April 25. 

Considering the reversal of Court of Appeals, the court sentenced Nationalist Turkey Party Istanbul Chair Bilal Gökçeyurt and the chair of so-called Turan Organization Ercan Uçar to 6 months in prison for threat. The court reduced the sentence since the suspects have no criminal record; the final sentence is 5 months in prison. 

The court also sentenced the suspects to 6 months in prison for “publicly insulting a group of people on the basis of difference of race and religion”. This sentence is also reduced to 5 months.