Police raided the Istanbul offices of LeMan Monday evening and detained the staff members after the publication of what officials claimed was a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, a depiction that is forbidden in the Muslim world. At the same time, a mob laid siege to the building and the surrounding area in Beyoğlu District, chanting pro-shariah law slogans. 

Istanbul prosecutors are investigating six people from the LeMan staff for “publicly demeaning religious values.” Four of the staffers are in custody and two others are wanted but are reportedly not in the country. 

The cartoon, published in the latest edition of the weekly, depicts two men with wings on their backs meeting over the skies of a city being bombed. They greet each other by saying “Assalamu alaikum, I’m Muhammad,” and “Aleichem shalom, I’m Moses,” as they shake hands. LeMan said on X that the man in the cartoon is not the prophet but instead a Muslim man named Muhammad. 

“Turkish authorities shouldn’t fan the flames of religious backlash over a cartoon that LeMan magazine said was not portraying the Islamic prophet,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “The authorities should release the four LeMan staff in custody, cancel the warrants for those abroad, and focus on ensuring their safety.”

Prior depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in cartoons have led to lethal violence and death threats against journalists.

The detained include Doğan Pehlivan, the cartoonist; Cebrail Okçu, graphic designer; Zafer Aknar, news editor; and Ali Yavuz, institutional manager. Tuncay Akgün, the chief editor and publisher, and news editor Aslan Özdemir were also wanted by the authorities. 

Turkish authorities banned the distribution of the latest edition of LeMan and ordered copies to be pulled from newsstands. A court ordered that LeMan’s website and X account be blocked within Turkey.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkey’s cabinet members welcomed the operation in public comments. Some opposition leaders also criticized the cartoon. 

CPJ’s emailed request for comment from the chief prosecutor’s office in Istanbul did not receive a reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

The 36^th Ankara Court of Serious Crimes on Tuesday, June 11, sentenced seven men to nine years in prison each on charges of causing “intentional injury” and making threats, according to a report by 12 Punto, a news website known for its critical coverage of the government, and court documents reviewed by CPJ. Demirağ will appeal the verdict in an effort to have the victims tried on attempted murder charges.

“The sentencing of seven men who brutally beat Turkish journalist Yavuz Selim Demirağ in 2019 is a positive step on the path to end Turkey’s culture of impunity for violence against journalists,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “However, Turkish authorities should heed Demirağ’s appeal of the verdict and take concrete, swift action to ensure journalists in Turkey feel safe from similar assaults and threats.”

Demirağ was beaten by at least six men with baseball bats outside his home in an attack that left him hospitalized exactly five years, one month, and one day before the sentencing, Demirağ told CPJ by phone, adding that the trial began 3.5 years after the incident. The journalist told CPJ he believes his attackers were instigated to assault him due to his political commentary.

The sentences had increased time because the defendants acted as a group and told the court they regretted their actions, according to the 12 Punto report and court documents. The defendants have maintained that the attack was not in connection to Demirağ’s journalism but was instead caused by a traffic disagreement.

None of the defendants were immediately arrested after the verdict pending an appeal, Demirağ told CPJ, adding that one is already in prison and a second is expected to be arrested for a delayed sentence, both from unrelated trials.

Demirağ told CPJ that he hoped the verdict in his trial and the May 2024 sentencing of seven people involved in a raid on a broadcast studio would be a “deterrent” for future attacks against the media in Turkey. “Despite everything, this is a positive development against impunity,” Demirağ said.

In April 2022, at least 50 people raided the Deniz Postası’s broadcast studio, during which attackers beat journalist Azim Deniz and his guest.

CPJ emailed the law firm representing the defendants and the chief prosecutor’s office in Ankara for comment but did not receive any reply.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.