Mufti Mete and Imam Azizoğlu's trial been postponed
The lawsuit against those who slander the Mufti of İskeçe (Xanthi) Ahmet Mete and the Imam of Gökçepınar (Glafki) village Erkan Azizoğlu with false testimony and fake news has been postponed.
The case filed by the Mufti of Xanthi (İskeçe) Ahmet Mete and Imam Erkan Azizolu against the owner of local newspaper Maxitis Panos Papadopoulos, former ANEL party member Chrisa Utsi, Nuri Farzli, and former appointed Mufti of Xanthi Mehmet Emin Şinikoğlu has been postponed due to the witnesses' incapacity to attend. The case, which was scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, January 11 at the Xanthi Three-Judges Criminal Court, was postponed to May 24, 2022.
Mufti Mete was represented by his lawyer Yannis Barkas because he was unable to attend due to his health condition. The case has been opened by Mufti Mete and Imam Erkan Azizoglu upon fake news published by Machitis newspaper and perjury and slanders that they received by aforementioned individuals regarding the funeral of a young soldier Ahmet Katunlu-member of the Turkish minority from Glafki (Gökçepınar) in 2016.
"Groundless allegations will be refuted and the truth will be disclosed"
"In light of the evidence we have, the groundless allegations about the funeral of the young soldier will be refuted, and the truth will be disclosed. I believe that justice will be served even after 6 years." lawyer Yannis Barkas said in a statement to the Millet newspaper.
Mete and Azizoğlu were put on trial on unfounded charges.
As it will be remembered, a lawsuit was filed against the Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete and the Imam of Glafki (Gökçepınar), Erkan Azizoğlu, alleging "extortion of office" and "obstructing the appointed mufti's duty" at the funeral of Ahmet Katunlu in the village of Glafki (Gökçepınar), who lost his life during his military service in 2016.
Mete and Azizoğlu were tried on the charges, false testimony and unfounded accusations of the defendants in question and were sentenced to 7 months in prison each. The court of appeal reduced Mufti Mete's 7-month prison term from the first-instance court to 4 months. The execution of Mufti Mete's sentence has been postponed for three years. Erkan Azizoğlu, the Imam of Glafki (Gökçepınar), was acquitted of both counts in the same case.
