Mustafa Erkan Acar

Mustafa Erkan Acar, an author, was an editor for newspaper Zaman, which was forced to shut down after the 2016 attempted coup. On July 15, 2016, he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for alleged “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” Though ordered to be released in March 2017, Acar stayed in custody pending another trial on fresh charges. He was re-tried in March 2018 and senteced to seven years and six months in prison for “being a member of a terrorist organization.” On June 30, 2021, Acar was released from Silivri Prison upon the completion of his sentence.