Turkey has dealt way too harshly with a man allegedly mocked by President Erdogan on Facebook. That is the opinion of the European Court of Human Rights, which orders the Turkish authorities to pay compensation of EUR 7500 to the victim.
The case was brought by Vedat Sorli, who was arrested in his own country for allegedly insulting Erdogan with his posts on social media. For example, in 2014, he shared an image showing Erdogan in a dress. The Turkish leader kisses then US President Barack Obama on that cartoon.
In Turkey, insulting the president is punishable by up to four years in prison. Sorli was in pre-trial detention for about two months and was eventually given a suspended prison sentence of almost a year. He had already appealed in his own country, but it was rejected.
The man has now been proved right by the European court in Strasbourg, France. He believes his freedom of expression has been violated. Therefore, according to the court, the man’s months of detention cannot be justified.