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Release order issued for leman cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan
A Turkish court has ordered the release of Leman magazine cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, who had been in pre-trial detention for nearly four and a half months. The decision concerns the case in which he was charged with “insulting the President”, a crime that carries a sentence of up to four years and eight months in prison.
Pehlevan had previously been granted release in a separate case where he was accused of “inciting hatred and hostility”, but remained behind bars due to the second ongoing trial. During a hearing held on Wednesday, the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled that Pehlevan could be freed under judicial control, requiring him to sign in regularly and prohibiting him from leaving the country.
His release is expected later in the day, marking a new stage in legal proceedings that will now continue without detention.
Background of the case
The charges stem from reactions to a cartoon published in the June 26, 2025 issue of the satirical magazine Leman. The drawing reportedly depicted two white-bearded men rising from a city under bombardment and greeting each other by the names “Muhammad” and “Moses.”
The illustration sparked widespread debate on social media. A large group later gathered outside Leman’s Istanbul headquarters, where tensions escalated, prompting police to set up barricades.
In response to the controversy, the magazine insisted it had no intention of insulting religious values, noting that “there are around 200 million people named Muhammad” and that the character in the cartoon was not meant to portray the Prophet Muhammad.