CFWIJ Welcomes The Release Of Journalist Beritan Canözer
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: October 16, 2019Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the release of Beritan Canözer, a former reporter at the pro-Kurdish Jin News Agency.
Beritan was taken into custody while covering a protest. She was charged with “terrorist group membership” and “terrorist propaganda”, and could have been given up to 15 years in prison had she been convicted.
We are delighted that good sense prevailed, and that the court decided to acquit her on these charges.
The third hearing of the trial began at Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on October 16. She had originally come under fire because of her reporting during the curfews in Diyarbakır’s Sur district. For more details refer to our earlier statement.
Her acquittal can be attributed to witness testimonies. While Beritan herself was unable to attend the hearing, her lawyer Resul Tamur was present. Resul noted that some witnesses had retracted their statements, while other statements were not coherent.
The prosecution reiterated its position and asked for 15 years in prison. However, the court decided to acquit the journalist.
We welcome the decision and urge authorities to look into the release of other imprisoned journalists. Journalism cannot be a crime and journalists cannot be targeted in this manner simply for doing their jobs.
We urge authorities to release all journalists being held under false charges, and to allow women journalists to continue their work with dignity.
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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
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