Fatih Altayli is one of the most important and influential figures in Turkish journalism. Like many colleagues, he was forced to leave his post several times in recent years, following the takeover of the press group he worked for by successive leaders linked to power. More than 85% of the national media is now in their hands.
Like many other television hosts and commentators, Fatih Altayli continues to vent from his living room on his self-created YouTube channel. It had nearly 1.7 million subscribers on the day of its arrest in late June. After five months in detention, he was just sentenced to four years and two months in prison by the Istanbul Criminal Court on Wednesday 26 November for “threats against the president”.
His lawyers said they would appeal. When the verdict was announced, Erol Önderoglu, from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), regretted the verdict “which is not only an unjustified and merciless sanction imposed on this renowned journalist, but also aims to intimidate critical public opinion”. He added: “This penalty, the most severe in recent years, which was based on comments taken out of context, must be overturned. »
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