2019 May / June Review: Imprisonments
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been keeping a close watch on cases where women journalists have been imprisoned during the May-June period. This report looks at the four cases that we documented for the May-June period this year. June went without incident, and all cases were documented in May. In Iran, Marzieh Azmiri was put behind bars alongside Atefeh Rangriz, whereas in Turkey Zeynep Kuray and Canan Coşkun were out behind bars.
Marzieh Azmiri was detained at the intelligence-run Evin Prison Ward 209, after she attended a May 1 rally by labor activists outside the parliament. She reports for Shargh Daily, which is a state-approved publication. She was taken only for doing her job. Atefeh Rangriz was taken in at the same time for the same crime.
Marzieh's colleague and Shargh journalist Mohammad Mosaed tweeted in her support: “Marzieh Amiri is one of the best and purest journalists in Iran. I haven’t heard her voice for three days. She is missed in the newsroom. Your Excellencies, forget about press freedom and honoring its international day! Give back our colleague!”
Shima Bahremand, also from Shargh, wrote: “Marzieh Amiri, our good and professional colleague from the economy desk, was arrested in connection with International Labor Day protests… Hearing about journalists held behind bars is the most bitter news on World Press Freedom Day.” While many others were released in the coming days, Marzieh and Atefeh were kept in detainment, alongside other journalists.
Marzieh was previously placed behind bars in January 2018, during protests. She was against arrested during March 2018 during a Women's Day March.
Two women journalists were arrested in Turkey on the same day.
On May 10, Zeynep Kuray and Canan Coşkun were taken into custody. Zeynep was covering hunger strikes by the Peace Mothers in front of Bakırköy Prison, alongside her colleague Irfan Tunççelik.
The protest was being undertaken by thousands of prisoners over PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan being barred from meeting his lawyers. Zeynep was following relatives of some of the prisoners at the time she was taken into custody. The reporters were released under judicial control on May 13.
Canan Coskun was arrested during the same time when going through an identity check at Taksim Balo Street. While it was unclear why she had been taken into custody - her lawyer at the time had said that no notification had been released - it was later found that she had been taken in because of an unpaid fine against her reporting.
Canan has previously worked for Cumhuriyet, which has often come under fire for its state criticism. She was released after the fine was paid.
This report was developed with the support of The Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
Writer and Researcher: Luavut Zahid
Executive Editor: Kiran Nazish
If you would like to request more insight into our findings, or would like to suggest an addition to our work reach out to us at data@womeninjournalism.org. For media inquiries reach out to us at press@womeninjournalism.org.