Fenerbahce president Sadettin Saran sentenced days before club election

An Istanbul court has sentenced Fenerbahce president Sadettin Saran and his brother, Alan Kenan, to two years and six months in prison on illegal betting charges and imposed individual judicial fines of around £9,000. The verdict arrived days before the club’s Extraordinary Elective General Assembly.

The men did not attend the hearing at the Istanbul 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance. Prosecutors alleged illegal gambling advertisements were broadcast during a football match shown via a media group owned by Saran. Co-defendants Emre Eren and Azade Zeynep Haksal were acquitted of the same charges.

Saran’s legal counsel, Serdar Yigit, said they welcomed the acquittals of some executives and that the rulings against Sadettin and Kenan Saran are not final and will be evaluated by higher courts on appeal. He added: "In this context, we inform the public that the appeal process will be initiated and we will follow the legal proceedings until the very end.

Turkey, Istanbul

fenerbahce, sadettin saran, alan kenan, illegal betting, prison sentence, judicial fines, istanbul court, club election, media group, appeal process