Turkish 'cult leader' Adnan Oktar sentenced to 8,658 years in prison

Istanbul: A Turkish televangelist known for hosting a TV show featuring young women whom he referred to as “kittens” was sentenced to 8,658 years in prison on charges of sexual assault and depriving someone of their liberty, following a retrial in an Istanbul court. 

As per details, the 66-year-old hosted his show on A9 TV and preached about conservative values and creationism in his show.  The talk show often featured a mix of religious discussion alongside scantily clad women dancing to modern pop music.

Adnan had originally been sentenced to 1,075 years, but that ruling was overturned. 

A new trial, ordered by an appeals court, resulted in a longer sentence. The retrial involved 215 defendants. Ten of his associates were also sentenced to 8,658 years in prison while several other defendants received shorter terms. 

Oktar was initially arrested in 2018 after a police investigation concluded that he was running a criminal ring disguised as a heterodox Islamic cult. During the arrest, he denied the allegations against him and said that they were “a game by the British deep state”.

Oktar also went by the alias Harun Yahya and was jailed last year on a range of crimes including sexual abuse of minors, fraud and attempted political and military espionage. 

The Turkish cult leader became known internationally for the talk show he hosted on his own A9 TV. Around 69,000 contraceptive pills were found by police in his home, which he claimed in court were used to treat skin disorders and menstrual problems.

One woman previously testified at his trial that Oktar had sexually assaulted her and other women and forced them to take contraceptive pills.