October 9, 2024 - Turkiye, Istanbul

Pelin Özkaptan was sentenced to 1 year, 6 months, and 22 days in prison for “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” based on her social media posts about Eylem Ataş, a fighter against ISIS. The announcement of the verdict was deferred. During the trial, her defense argued that her posts were simply expressions of opinion and that some evidence presented by the police was gathered illegally.

Women Press Freedom strongly denounces this court decision. Journalism is not terrorism. Özkaptan should be free to report and express herself online without facing jail time. We demand the court overturn this unjust ruling and urge judges to stop sentencing journalists for doing their jobs.