The court found Akay, one of the highest-profile suspects arrested in the relentless post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulen adherents, guilty of holding conversations via Bylock, a special smartphone application Ankara claims Gulen supporters use to stay in touch.
BM Hakimi Aydın Sefa Akay'a önce hapis cezası sonra tahliye — Tr724 https://t.co/gYP1jtKk5H pic.twitter.com/aFPYzo31K3
— Tr724 (@tr724com) 14 июня 2017 г.
In his initial testimony, Akay admitted to installing Bylock but claimed that he had not used any password to access the system, local media reported.
In the final hearing of Akay's trial, the court decided to release the retired ambassador under judicial supervision, pending confirmation of the verdict by Turkey's supreme appeals court, the Yargitay. A date for that ruling is yet unknown. If the the sentence is upheld, Akay will be sent back behind bars.
Akay had been working with the UN international court, trying suspects over the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and his detention has frozen proceedings into an appeal hearing of former Rwandan minister Augustin Ngirabatware.
The military coup attempt that took place in Turkey in July was quickly suppressed by government forces. More than 240 people were killed and an estimated 2,000 were wounded during the uprising. Since then, Turkey has arrested thousands of military personnel, activists and journalists on suspicion of links with Fethullah Gulen.
