Turkish court releases four high school students facing 'insulting Atatürk' charge from jail

A Turkish court has released four high school students under judicial control measures one month after they were arrested for “burning a picture of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk," founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Wednesday November 22 2023 09:26 pm

Duvar English

A Kayseri court on Nov. 22 released four high school students who are facing charges of “publicly insulting the memory of Atatürk” under judicial control measures, Demirören News Agency reported.

The court previously arrested the students on Oct. 27 after they were found “burning a picture of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The move came after a video showing them burning the picture in Kayseri’s İncesu district spread over social media, stirring public reaction.

The İncesu Criminal Court of First Instance ruled for the release of students under judicial control measures and adjourned the hearing. The students, on the other hand, did not accept the charges against them and asked for their acquittal.

Last month, another high school student in Turkey was sentenced one year and eight months in prison on charges of “publicly insulting the memory of Atatürk” after he was found “making obscene gestures with a photograph of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk” in a video that caused public outrage.