Islamic televangelist cult leader Adnan Oktar sentenced to over 1,000 years in prison

Islamic televangelist cult leader Adnan Oktar was sentenced to almost 1,100 years in prison on charges of sexual abuse of minors, as well as espionage and leading a criminal organization. The cult leader used to host a TV show where he often hung out with young women whom he called his "kittens."

Monday January 11 2021 04:35 pm

Duvar English - Anadolu Agency

A Turkish court slapped Islamic televangelist cult leader Adnan Oktar with over 1,000 years in prison for ten separate crimes on Jan. 11, according to a judicial source.

The court gave Oktar a total of 1,075 years and three months in prison over the charges of founding and leading a criminal organization, political or military espionage and aiding U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, Ankara's top suspect for the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016.

Oktar was also convicted of sexual abuse of minors, sexual abuse, holding a person against their will, torture, interruption of the right to education, recording personal data, and threatening someone.

The 64-year-old cult leader who owned a TV channel was arrested in 2018 along with 200 collaborators, following allegations of sexual abuse and kidnapping of minors.

Before his arrest, Oktar ran his own television channel, A9, where he hosted talk shows on Islamic values. On occasion, he was broadcast dancing with young women whom he called his “kittens” and singing with young men, his “lions.”

Tarkan Yavaş, one of Oktar's accomplices, also received a 211-year prison sentence for being an executive member of the organization, sexual abuse of a minor, sexual abuse, misstatement of property, and committing perjury in official documents.