Müjdat Gezen Sentenced to Prison in Case Over Alleged Remarks About Muslims
Mujdat Gezen, a veteran figure of Turkish theater, has recently made headlines not for his stage performances or artistic career, but due to a court verdict against him. The esteemed artist was sentenced to a prison term of 3 months and 22 days for 'publicly insulting a segment of the population' due to remarks he made on a program broadcast on his YouTube channel approximately two years ago. According to a report by Oda Tv, although the execution of the sentence will not be carried out due to the court's decision to defer the announcement of the verdict (DAV), Gezen's comments and his defense have once again sparked widespread public debate.
Source: Oda Tv
Müjdat Gezen, a living legend of Turkish theatre, has been a prominent figure in the art world for many decades. His contributions extend beyond his acting, writing, and directing roles; he has also nurtured countless actors through the art center he established. His multi-faceted involvement in the arts has solidified his place among the most significant names in the industry.
Gezen, who frequently makes headlines with his social commentaries and political analyses, is now in the spotlight not for his art career, but for a court ruling against him.
The 59th Istanbul Anatolian Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced the veteran artist to 3 months and 22 days in prison for 'publicly belittling a section of the society based on religious differences'. The reason for the verdict was the statements Gezen used on his YouTube channel about two years ago.
The incident in question took place in the May 2024 episode titled "We Attended Journalist Ayşenur Arslan's Lesson" of the "Our House with Müjdat Gezen" program, which Müjdat Gezen broadcasts on YouTube.
During the program, Gezen, who spoke about the funeral traditions of Muslims, used the following expressions:
'In Muslim culture, there is a tradition. When someone dies, they are buried with their mother's name. Do you know why? Because of a saying I love very much in Anatolia... Your mother is definitely your mother, but your father might be your father.'
He then continued his words with the phrase,
'Isn't that right? The mother is a guarantee.'
According to the news of Oda TV, as a result of the investigation initiated on these words, a lawsuit was filed against Gezen for the crime of 'openly insulting a section of the people based on social class, religion, sect, gender or regional differences' regulated in Article 216/2 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The Istanbul Anatolia 59th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled that Mujdat Gezen's words constituted a crime.
The court initially sentenced the artist to 6 months in prison. Then, considering Gezen's past, the absence of a criminal record, and his attitude during the trial process, various legal deductions were applied.
With the addition of the simple trial procedure discount, the sentence was finalized as 3 months and 22 days in prison.
However, the court also made a decision to Defer the Announcement of the Verdict. Within this scope, Mujdat Gezen will be subject to a probation period for 5 years. If he does not commit a new intentional crime during this period, the given prison sentence will not be executed and the verdict will not have legal consequences.
In his defense in court, Mujdat Gezen admitted that the said expressions belonged to him and stated that he had no intention of insulting religious values.
The veteran artist, stating that the words he used were a saying that has been used in Anatolia for many years, expressed that he actually wanted to emphasize the importance of motherhood.
In his defense, Gezen, who reminded the hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad, 'Paradise is under the feet of mothers,' stated that his words were taken out of context and his intention was not to belittle Muslims, but to explain the value of Anatolian women and the position of motherhood.
Keşfet ile ziyaret ettiğin tüm kategorileri tek akışta gör!
Test
Gündem
Magazin
Video
Send Comment