An Adana judge who arrested 23 businessmen for using the ByLock mobile application in mid-August has been jailed on the same charge.
Turkish prosecutors claim that ByLock is the top communication tool among members of the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt. Critics often lambaste the government for imprisoning thousands of people merely for using the app.
Hakan K., a Penal Court of Peace judge, ruled for the arrest of 23 businessmen over the use of ByLock on Aug. 23 but he failed to avoid the same accusation, Turkish media reported on Tuesday.
Turkey survived a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Immediately after the putsch, the government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the coup attempt.
