Turkiye: Court Orders Detention of Ayşe Kara in Retrial Over Baseless “Terrorism” Charges
December 3, 2024 - Turkiye, Diyarbakır
Court issues a detention order for exiled journalist Ayşe Kara during her retrial on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization." Kara faces a minimum 5-year sentence in a case that highlights Türkiye’s ongoing judicial harassment of women journalists, particularly those covering Kurdish issues.
This decision is a clear attempt to silence Kara and intimidate journalists, especially women, reporting on Kurdish issues.
Women Press Freedom has consistently denounced Turkish authorities for their discriminatory persecution of Kurdish journalists. Despite being acquitted of terrorism charges previously, Ayşe Kara is now being retried, a blatant example of judicial harassment. The next hearing is set for March 6, 2025.
We demand an end to this targeting. Journalism is not terrorism. Reporting on Kurdish issues must not be equated with acts of terrorism. This detention order must be revoked, and all charges against Kara must be dropped.
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