A court ordered the arrest of a journalist in southeast Turkey for allegedly spreading "disinformation," his lawyer said on Thursday, marking the first pre-trial detention under a new law that critics say poses a threat to free speech. The arrest comes two months after parliament passed the legislation that President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said would protect the public. Critics say the law could be abused by authorities in order to stifle dissent.
Sinan Aygul, a journalist in Kurdish-majority Bitlis province, was detained early on Wednesday after he wrote a series of tweets that a 14-year-old girl had allegedly been sexually abused by police officers and soldiers. He later retracted the story.
Aygul said the local governor told him the story was untrue after he had posted about the alleged incident.
Aygul, who is the chairman of the Bitlis Journalists Association, apologized for publishing the story without confirming it with authorities.
Aygul's lawyer Diyar Orak said the detention was unlawful.