Turkish lawyer Feyza Altun was detained after she made a post criticizing Islamic law, known as Sharia, on social media, according to local media reports.
In one of several posts on X, the lawyer wrote “f*** sharia” in response to a Persian poem, the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) reported.
The post amassed significant attention, with users initiating a campaign to have the lawyer arrested under the hashtag #feyzaaltuntutuklansın” (Feyza Altun should be arrested.)
“For two nights, I struggled with thousands of tweets from people who said they would put me to the sword and that I would become their concubine,” Altun told media in front of the court, according to BalkanInsight.
Why was the lawyer’s post deemed criminal?
The arrest was made by the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which investigated the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), according to SCF. This article criminalizes the act of openly inciting enmity or hatred toward a protected social group, including a religious one.
Altun later defended herself, writing on Monday, “To this day, I have never written the slightest thing that is offensive about any belief. I don’t care about anyone’s religious belief or the way they live it, no matter what religion it is.
“For me, what you call Sharia is the Taliban mind that stones women on the streets. In this context, I stand behind my word. That regime will not be implemented in this country either. Modern secular law rules apply in this country. Demanding sharia is a threat to the constitutional order and a crime.”
Bugüne kadar hiçbir inançla ilgili en ufak rencide edici şey yazmadım yazmam da. Kimsenin dini inancı , hangi din olursa olsun onu yaşama biçimi beni ilgilendirmez.Şeriat dediğiniz şey sokaklarda kadın taşlayan Taliban aklıdır benim için. Bu bağlamda sözümün de arkasındayım. Bu…
— Feyza Altun (@feyzaltun) February 19, 2024
Altun also issued a statement dispelling rumors that she drank the alcoholic drink ‘raki’, something forbidden under Islamic law, when police came to her home to arrest her.
“I have already said more than enough to say about the investigation I have undergone. I also gave my statement yesterday. For this reason, I have decided not to make another statement at this stage.
“However, since the following news was the result of a misunderstanding, I wanted to correct it.
“I did not say that I drank raki when the police came to my house. I think there was such a communication accident. I said that I was drinking only raki at home when the police came. When my detention period began, I did not drink anything.
“As you will appreciate, such a thing is not possible. I wanted to correct the issue as there would be a situation that would put my fellow officers under pressure.”
Değerli arkadaşlar;Geçirdiğim soruşturma ile alakalı olarak söylemem gerekenleri fazlasıyla söyledim zaten. Ayrıca dün ifademi de verdim. Bu sebeple bu aşamada tekrar bir açıklama yapmama kararı aldım.Ancak aşağıdaki haberler, bir yanlış anlaşılmanın sonucu olduğu için… https://t.co/ZJqxjdhbhG
— Feyza Altun (@feyzaltun) February 21, 2024
