(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say has been given a suspended 10-month prison sentence for insulting Muslim values.
An Istanbul court found Say guilty of denigrating religion through comments he made on the social networking site Twitter, his lawyer said on Monday.
The 43-year-old musician, who has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Symphony and other world orchestras, was on trial for sending tweets last year, including one that joked about a religious leader and some Islamic practices.
"Honestly we were not expecting this ruling, and all I can say is, both legally and for the country, it's a sad decision," Say's lawyer Meltem Akyol told Reuters.
The court ordered a "supervised release" for Say, meaning that he would be free as long as he did not commit a similar crime within five years.
The sentence was reduced to 10 months from 12 months due to good behaviour in court.
"We reject the charges against us but the decision is the court's," the musician's lawyer told the court..
Say was not in court for the sentencing. But he denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
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