Broadcast ban placed on reports about arrest of Turkish Islamic cult leader charged with sexual harassment
A broadcast ban has been imposed by prosecutors on news reports concerning the arrest of Eyüp Fatih Şağban, the leader of the Uşşaki Islamic cult who was arrested earlier this month on charges of sexually harassing a 12-year-old girl. Voice recordings of Şağban speaking to the girl's father surfaced in which the sect leader pleads with the father to keep quiet about the matter.
Duvar English
A broadcast ban has been imposed by prosecutors on news reports concerning the arrest of Eyüp Fatih Şağban, the leader of the Uşşaki Islamic cult who was arrested earlier this month on charges of sexually harassing a 12-year-old girl.
The ban was placed following a decision handed down by prosecutors in the Akyazı district of the province of Sakarya, where Şağban was arrested on Sept. 1.
Voice recordings of Şağban speaking to the girl's father surfaced in which the sect leader pleads with the father to keep quiet about the matter.
In the recording, Şağban admitted to kissing the girl, saying that “there is no problem with her virginity” and threatening to kill himself if the scandal went public.
The OdaTV news portal reported that this is not the first time that Şağban has been accused of sexual harassment.
Disciples of the Uşşaki Islamic cult severed ties with the group following Şağban's arrest. An association connected to the cult in the province of Çorum, from where it originated, announced that it was splitting from 58-year-old Şağban, who also goes by the name Fatih Nurullah.
The cult was established in the province of Çorum in 1934 by İbrahim İpek Çorumi, and its center was transferred to Sakarya after Çorumi's death in 2000.
The Uşşaki Association itself released a statement on Thursday rejecting any affiliation with Şağban.