Turkish appeals court upholds jail terms for Cumhuriyet newspaper staff – report

A Turkish appeals court upheld the convictions of journalists and executives from opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet. It said on Tuesday an appeals court had ruled the original trial was lawful and approved the convictions. Fourteen staff of Cumhuriyet – one of the few remaining voices critical of the government – were jailed last year on charges of terrorism and supporting US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for organizing 2016 attempted coup. All of the accused denied the charges against them. Since the failed coup, more than 77,000 people have been jailed pending trial, while about 150,000 civil servants and military personnel have been sacked or suspended from their jobs, according to Reuters.