Two Turkish citizens were arrested on Monday by a court for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on social media, a pro-government daily reported.
Forty-nine-year-old Kazım Y. and 24-year-old Uğur Ay were detained at home by the anti-cybercrime department and later arrested by the court.
Prosecutions under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code for “insulting the president” require the minister of justice’s permission and carry potential prison sentences of one to four years.
According to Human Rights Watch, such cases have risen dramatically from 132 in 2014 to more than 6,000 in 2017.