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Turkey Acquits 2 Christian Missionaries of Most Charges

By Howard M. Friedman

Compass Direct News yesterday reported that two volunteers with the Bible Research Center were acquitted by a court in Turkey on Oct. 14 of charges that they had violated Art. 301 of the Turkish Penal Code that prohibits insulting the Turkish state, and Art. 216 that prohibits insulting the Turkish people.  The charges were initially filed in 2006 after a complaint to police that Christian missionaries were attempting to form illegal groups in schools and insulting Turkishness, the military and Islam. It was alleged that they were portraying Islam as a primitive and fictitious religion that results in terrorism and portrayed the Turks as cursed. However no evidence was produced to support these charges. The two men were however convicted of collecting information on citizens without permission (Art. 135) and fined the equivalent of $3170 (US) in lieu of 7 months in prison-- apparently for using contact information people provided on their organization's website. Defendants Turan Topol and Hakan Tastan said their attempts to disseminate information about Christianity was constitutionally protected. The two converted from Islam to Christianity 15 years ago.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on October 20, 2010 (boomark / email).