An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced a Muslim televangelist to 8,658 years in prison for surrounding himself with a handful of women he called “kittens,” local media reported.
Adnan Oktar hosted television programs surrounded by women wearing heavy make-up and scantily clad clothing while advocating creationism and conservative values.
Last year, the 66-year-old was sentenced to 1,075 years in prison for charges including sexual assault, sexual abuse of minors, fraud and attempted political and military espionage.
But that judgment was overturned by a high court.
At the retrial, the Istanbul High Criminal Court sentenced Oktar to 8,658 years in prison on charges including sexual abuse and deprivation of liberty, Anadolu news agency reported.
The court also sentenced 10 other suspects to 8,658 years in prison each, the agency reported.
Oktar, who critics see as the leader of a cult, gained notoriety for his programs on the A9 network and was regularly denounced by Turkey’s religious leaders.
In a major crackdown on his group, he was arrested in Istanbul in 2018 as part of an investigation by the city’s police financial crimes unit.
AFP
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