December 20, 2024 - Turkiye, Van

On December 20, 2024, police in Van attacked and detained journalists and activists protesting the killing of Kurdish journalists Jihan Belki and Nazim Dashdam in a Turkish drone strike in North Syria.

Police blockaded the street, assaulted protesters—including journalists and politicians—and detained 9 reporters from JIN News, Mezopotamya Agency and others. Those taken into custody include: Ruken Polat, Özlem Yacan, Sema Yüce Polat, Memihan Zeydan, Zelal Tunç, and Nimet Ölmez.

Women Press Freedom denounces this crackdown and the unjust persecution of journalists protesting the killing of their colleagues. We stand in solidarity with Kurdish journalists, demand the immediate release of all detained, and call for an urgent, transparent, and independent investigation into the killings of Jihan Belki and Nazim Dashdam.