"Beat & Release": Armenian's Excommunication Playing Out in Turkish Courts, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 12 August 2023)

                     Seems to be badly outnumbered.

Levon Gagaçyan, a member of the Armenian community in Turkey, has

been excommunicated by Patriarchate's Spiritual Council because of 

messages Gagaçyan posted on social media about the Patriarchate. In

addition, Patriarch Şahak Maşlayan and Spiritual Council President

İsahak Bıçıkçı have petitioned the public prosecutor to put Gagaçyan

on trial for insulting them. 

In response, after reviewing Gagaçyan's social media verbal and written

messages, the Bakırköy public prosecutor opened a case against him,

requesting a jail sentence of 2 years and 4 months.   Responding, 

Gagaçyan asserted that "I have in no way acted in a way that would

demean the prestige of the Armenians in Turkey.  Without any right to

appeal, I've been excommunicated.  I felt badly about this so I posted

a critical message on my Facebook account." 

After he was excommunicated, Gagaçyan appealed to the Turkish

Presidential Communications Center (CİMER), asserting that "If me or

my property suffer any harm then 3 people in the Patriarchate are

responsible."  CİMER's response to him was that he could file a petition

with the Istanbul public prosecutor if he so desired (i.e. "take two aspirins

and call me in the morning").   

In any case, Gagaçyan did file a criminal complaint with the Istanbul 

public prosecutor, claiming that his "freedom of religious belief" has

been impeded.  In addition, Gagaçyan filed a criminal complaint against

Deputy Patriarch Şirvan Mürzyan for posting an insulting message about

him on social media regarding his excommunication.