Rescue agency founder Mahruki released two weeks after arrest

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has released Nasuh Mahruki, the founder and former head of a prominent search and rescue agency, who was detained more than two weeks ago on charges of disseminating misleading information and publicly insulting judicial bodies.

The court’s decision to grant Mahruki’s release followed an appeal lodged by his legal team against the arrest order issued on Nov. 20.

Freed on Dec. 5, Mahruki expressed his gratitude to supporters via a social media post.

The charges stem from a statement he made last month on X, criticizing Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).

The prosecutor’s office seeks a sentence of one to three years in prison against Mahruki for allegedly spreading misleading information with the “intent to incite anxiety, fear or panic among the public,” the indictment said.

"I don’t know what I’m accused of. The posts in question are not things I made up, and I don’t even know which of these posts is false," Mahruki said in his defense.

His first hearing is scheduled for Dec. 26, according to local media.

Founding the AKUT Search and Rescue Association as a prominent mountaineer, Mahruki also ran as a mayoral candidate in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district in the March elections and received over 13 percent of the vote.