22/04/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
Övüç was sentenced to 11 months in prison for “insulting religious values” in the case in which he had been held in pre-trial detention for 102 days.
The Küçükçekmece 5th Criminal Court of First Instance has announced its ruling regarding Turkish social media influencer Murat Övüç, who was arrested on charges of “inciting hatred and hostility among the public” following a video in which he wore a headscarf and was subsequently targeted on social media.
At the hearing, the prosecution presented its final opinion. The prosecutor argued that, due to the video in question, Övüç had committed the offense of “insulting religious values” and requested that he be punished accordingly.
The court sentenced Övüç, who had been held in pre-trial detention for 102 days, to 11 months in prison for “insulting religious values.”
Speaking to Furkan Karabay from Medyascope, Övüç’s lawyer Çağdaş Çelik said:
“My client was unlawfully sentenced to 11 months in prison at the upper limit under Article 216/3 of the Turkish Penal Code. Even under these circumstances, if an investigation had been initiated against my client under Article 216/3, under which the maximum penalty is one year, he would have fallen under the prohibition on detention and would not have spent even a single day in custody. This unlawful decision clearly demonstrates from the very beginning what kind of injustice was carried out against my client. I believe this decision will be overturned on appeal and that an acquittal will be issued.”
From the indictment: “The suspect, who exhibits effeminate behavior and identifies as gay”
The indictment stated:
“It was alleged that the suspect, who exhibits effeminate behavior and identifies as gay, mocked the headscarf, which is one of the important obligations of the Islamic faith.”
It was further argued that, due to the suspect being a well-known public figure, the post reached a wide audience and created an explicit and imminent risk of undermining social peace and disturbing public order.
Tags: human rights, media, life, family, lgbti
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