Turkey’s President Erdogan, left, with Penguen magazine cover
Cartoonists Bahadir Baruter and Ozer Aydogan, from the Turkish satirical magazine Penguen, have been found guilty of insulting Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a cartoon on the cover of the magazine’s August issue. The court sentenced both cartoonists to 14 months in prison on March 24. That sentence was reduced to 11 months and 20 days, for “good conduct” during the trial, and subsequently commuted to a fine of 7,000 Liras each. The cartoon in question depicted the president meeting two officials outside his newly completed presidential palace, with the cartoon Erdogan saying: “What a bland celebration. We could have at least sacrificed a journalist.” The cartoonists explained in court that the cartoon was making a comment on the victimization of journalists. [Full Story]
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