Arrests in Istanbul: Satiremagazin Leman affected due to Mohammed caricature

Arrests in Istanbul: Satiremagazin Leman affected due to Mohammed caricature

Istiklal-Straße, Istanbul, Türkei - In Istanbul, several responsible persons of the satirical magazine "Leman" were arrested. According to Exxpress.at has announced Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya that the draftsman, the editor-in-chief and graphic artist of the magazine are affected. The reason for the arrests are allegations of the "disparagement" of religious values ​​that relate to an alleged caricature of the Prophet Mohammed.

The public prosecutor has already started an investigation into an drawing in the edition of June 26, 2025. According to reports, a copy of the controversial drawing Mohammed and Moses, who are handing in the hand in heaven. Among other things, affected people include two editor -in -chief and the head of the editorial team. The police took over the "Leman" office in Istlal-Straße and arrest warrants were issued against several other managers of the magazine.

protests and reactions

After the allegations became known, protests occurred in Istanbul, in which a bar that is often attended by employees of the magazine was attacked. There were handmade with the police in the clashes in which 250 to 300 people were involved. The magazine "Leman" defended the picture and explained that it had been intentionally interpreted.

editor -in -chief Tuncay Akgün described the judiciary's approach as "shocking, but not surprising". Since the magazine was founded in 1991, "Leman" has always been the goal of conservative attacks, especially after support for the French magazine "Charlie Hebdo", which was affected by an attack in 2015, in which twelve people were killed, including known cartoonists.

freedom of expression and state control

The debate about freedom of expression and the limits of satire remains tense in Turkey. Istanbul districts, such as Şişli, experience increased police presence to monitor critical voices. According to Deutschlandfunk.de Numerous demonstrations for and against the publication of Mohammed caricatures from "Charlie Hebdo" took place. While some demonstrators support freedom of expression, counter -demonstrators express outrage and threaten the media employees.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the publication and explained that freedom of expression did not give the right to deal with religious values. Utku Cakirözer, the editor -in -chief of Cumhuriyet, defended the publication as support for freedom of expression. In the current ranking of reporters without borders, Turkey shows the 154th place of 180 countries in relation to freedom of the press, which illustrates the challenges for journalists and caricatureists in the region.