Mardin 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced Melek Karahan to one year and three months in prison for “publicly disseminating misleading information” over a social media post about the 15 July 2016 coup attempt. Karahan, a 50-year-old known in Mardin as the “Marilyn Monroe of Mardin,” was detained on 17 July 2026 and then arrested. The court released her at the first hearing on 22 September. At the final hearing on 6 October, Karahan denied the accusation and requested acquittal. The court imposed the prison sentence under Articles 217/A and 218 of the Turkish Penal Code. Her lawyer Elif Narin Dursun said the ruling violated freedom of expression and announced that they would appeal. Karahan also said she had not made the post with the intent to commit a crime and did not accept the accusation.
6 October 2026
Gerçek Gündem