Turkiye: Retrial of Ayşe Kara Over Terrorism Charges Begins
Kurdish journalist continuously legally harassed by the Diyarbakır prosecutor
Location: Turkiye, Diyarbakır
Date: April 16, 2024
Women Press Freedom expresses profound dismay at the relentless pursuit of journalist Ayşe Kara by the Diyarbakır prosecutor, who has gone to unjustifiable lengths to harass her. This unwarranted harassment has escalated to a retrial following her previous acquittal on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization." The new allegations accuse the journalist of having terrorist affiliations, purportedly due to her associations with pro-Kurdish groups such as the Free Journalists' Association (ÖGC), Free Women’s Congress (KJA), and the Democratic Society Congress, a pro-Kurdish non-profit. We adamantly call for an end to this persecution; associating with Kurdish organizations or being involved in Kurdish media does not equate to membership in terrorist groups. The unjust targeting of journalists affiliated with Kurdish outlets must stop. We yet again demand for Kara to be acquitted.
WPF is deeply disturbed by the arrest of Nadezhda Kevorkova, a 65-year-old journalist known for her coverage of the Middle East and the North Caucasus.
WPF strongly condemns the unjust charges against Derya Us and Nurcan Yalçın who were arrested by police for allegedly belonging to a terrorist organization.
At the first hearing of her retrial at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on April 16, 2024, journalist Ayşe Kara once again faced terrorism charges related to a 2020 investigation.
Kara was absent from court and was represented by her lawyer, Resul Temur. When asked about her whereabouts, Temur said she was abroad and promised to provide her location for future testimony.
In its interim decision, the court ordered the investigation file against Kara to be obtained from the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The court also instructed the Diyarbakır Counterterrorism Branch to investigate whether Kara had a code name and attended meetings and demonstrations at the direction of an organization. The court postponed the trial until July 16, 2024, for the completion of missing details in the case file.
Kara was first arrested on June 27, 2020, as part of an investigation into the pro-Kurdish nonprofit Democratic Society Congress (DTK). She faced terrorism charges due to her affiliation with the Free Journalists' Association (ÖGC), which disbanded during the State of Emergency in 2016. Kara was released with a travel ban.
During her second hearing, the prosecutor sought Kara's conviction for "being affiliated with a terrorist organization" and "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization," citing her connections with the DTK, ÖGC, and Free Women's Congress (KJA) as evidence. Kara's lawyer argued against the bias and lack of evidence regarding DTK's involvement. In November 2021, Kara was acquitted.
In January 2024, the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice overturned Kara's acquittal, leading to a retrial.
Women Press Freedom denounces the continuing legal harassment of Ayşe Kara and the bogus terror charges she is facing for a second time. Turkish prosecutors are persistently pursuing nonsense extremism cases involving journalists from Kurdish outlets, frequently they are imprisoned or detained for prolonged periods while their trials are ongoing. This is not an exercise in justice but an example of the systemic persecution of the Kurdish press. Journalists are not terrorists, and working for outlets that serve the Kurdish communities or report in the Kurdish language should justify serious terror-related charges against a journalist. We call for transparency in the legal proceedings against Kara and demand her second acquittal.
There must be an end to the relentless targeting of the Kurdish press and their journalists by Turkish authorities.
WPF strongly condemns the unjust charges against Derya Us and Nurcan Yalçın who were arrested by police for allegedly belonging to a terrorist organization.
Yet again, authorities have thrown Elif Akkuş behind bars, this time awaiting trial under accusations of evidence tampering, allegedly tied to her expenditure during coverage of conflicts in Libya and Syria while working for state-run broadcaster TRT.
WPF expresses deep concern over the actions of Turkish authorities during the May Day march in Istanbul's Saraçhane district.
WPF vehemently condemns the repeated and unfounded accusations against journalist Zeynep Kuray by Turkish authorities.
WPF strongly condemns the police raid following Kurdish Journalists' Day targeting journalists from Kurdish news outlets across Turkiye.
WPF condemns the prosecutor's decision to pursue charges against journalist Asena Tunca for allegedly "opposing the law on meetings and demonstrations" following her violent detention by law enforcement while covering a protest against the government's handling of the February 2024 earthquakes.
WPF condemns the investigation into Duygu Kıt for her coverage of opposition to a quarry construction close to a fatal mine collapse in İliç, Erzincan.
WPF expresses profound dismay at the relentless pursuit of journalist Ayşe Kara by the Diyarbakır prosecutor, who has gone to unjustifiable lengths to harass her.
WPF celebrates the release of Dilan Oyunş after an unjust seven-year imprisonment on spurious terrorism charges.
WPF condemns the threats and violence Medine Mamedoğlu endured as a direct consequence of her exposing police brutality during protests in Van.
WPF stands unwaveringly with Perihan Kaya, an exiled journalist facing retrial in Turkiye on unfounded terrorism charges.
WPF views the lawsuit by Deputy Ali İhsan Arslan of the ruling AKP party against İleri Haber journalists İzel Sezer and Doğan Ergün as an attempt to stifle critical journalism, and we call for the case to be dismissed.
Rojin Akın has been finally vindicated of “membership of a terrorist organization” charges.
WPF firmly condemns the recent assaults, intimidation, and detentions of journalists in Turkiye, as they covered the protests against the electoral authorities' decision to block a pro-Kurdish mayor-elect in Van despite his election victory.
WPF persistently monitored the electoral process during the local elections and noted multiple instances of infringements. We condemn acts of violence and restrictions, including against Ece Üner, who was threatened with death.
Women Press Freedom is deeply troubled by Elif Akgül facing a potential 13.5 years behind bars over two tweets in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
Women Press Freedom welcomes the decision by the Istanbul prosecutor to drop the investigation against Artı TV journalist Şükran Ekinci.
WPF denounces the court’s decision to convict Pınar Gayıp and Mehmet Acettin, journalists with the Etkin News Agency (ETHA), of “denigrating Turkishness” for their coverage of a lawyer accused of sexual harassment.
WPF condemns the charges brought against Zeynep Durgut, who was unjustly and forcibly arrested while she was covering a women's rights activist's press statement in November 2023.
WPF welcomes the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling Turkiye violated the freedom, security, and freedom of expression rights of journalist Ayşenur Parıldak — exonerating the journalist and acknowledging the unjust sentence she endured.
WPF supports Yaşar's decision to file a complaint against police officers who subjected the journalist to physical assault, racist insults, and threats when they violently detained her.
WPF is appalled by the police violence and unjust detention of journalists covering the Kurdish New Year Celebrations (Nowruz) in Istanbul.
WPF welcomes the guilty verdict against the police officers for their violence against reporter Beyza Kural in Istanbul during her coverage of the YÖK protest in 2015.
In a groundbreaking decision, Turkiye's Constitutional Court ruled that a travel ban imposed on journalist and author Nurcan Kaya constitutes an infringement upon the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The exoneration of documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin from charges implicating her with a terrorist organization signifies the conclusion of a protracted legal ordeal that began with her detention in December 2022.
Dicle Müftüoğlu, editor at the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, has been held in pretrial detention for over 7 months on charges of membership and leadership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group classified as a terrorist organization by the Turkish government.
Women Press Freedom welcomes court’s decision while urging an end to state’s abuse of anti-terror legislation to target journalist
WPF has been closely following the case against journalist Canan Coşkun in Turkiye and welcomes the recent court decision to drop all charges against her following a retrial.
WPF strongly condemns the ongoing legal proceedings against Gözde Bedeloğlu, a journalist for BirGün, who is currently facing charges of "insulting a public official" in Istanbul, Turkiye, filed by a Nationalist Movement Party politician.
WPF vehemently condemns the recent judgment against journalist Nagihan Yılkın, who was fined for "insulting a public official" following her investigative work into corruption involving the former Governor of Gaziantep, Turkiye.
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