After more than a year into the pandemic, India has been hit by the most lethal wave with presumably a new variant. Hospitals have fallen short of oxygen supplies and beds for COVID-19 patients. The cremation sites are full and scenes of dead bodies arriving one after the other are beyond horrific to explain.

Journalist Aviva Okeson-Haberman was found dead in her apartment on Friday, April 23, from what appears to be a gunshot wound. Okeson-Haberman was a young radio journalist cherished by her colleagues and friends. The police are investigating the circumstance around her death.

Sinbo ve SML Etiket işçilerinin 1 Mayıs etkinliklerinin yasaklanmasına dair yaptığı basın açıklamasına polis saldırdı. 40 kişinin gözaltına alındığı basın açıklamasında haber takibi yapan Jin News muhabiri Sena Dolar ve Kızıl Bayrak muhabiri Kardelen Yoğungan da polis tarafından darp edildi. Gözaltına alındı. Gazeteciler ifadeleri alındıktan sonra serbest bırakıldı. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak son dönemde gazetecilere yönelik giderek artan polis saldırılarını kınıyoruz. Türk yetkililerden gazetecilere saldırmak yerine güvenli ve özgürce haber yapabilecekleri ortam sağlamalarını talep ediyoruz.

Police attacked the gathering of the Sinbo and SML Label workers to ban May 1, Labour Day organisations. 40 people were detained, including Jin News reporter Sena Dollar and Kızıl Bayrak reporter Kardelen Yoğungan. The reporters were also battered by the police. Both journalists were released after their testimonies were taken. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the increasing police violence on journalists. We demand Turkish authorities to provide an environment where journalists can report safely and freely.

CFWIJ is alarmed by the extension of one more year of imprisonment against journalist and charity worker, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Nazanin was arrested in 2016 by Iranian authorities on charges of propaganda against the regime. In the latest hearing held in March, the journalist was accused of participating in a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy 12 years ago and giving her opinion on BBC News, Persian service. The journalist was now hoping for her release after having served 5 years of her sentence but to her disappointment, her imprisonment has now been extended for a further one year. Nazanin was released from jail in March 2020 and was placed under house arrest in Tehran. CFWIJ is shocked at the blatant abuse and judicial harassment against the journalist. We strongly demand Iranian judicial authorities drop all the bogus charges and end the prolonged torture against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Investigative journalist and founder of a news website, “Yo Rechazo la Corrupción y la Impunidad”, Dianeth Perez Arreola was intimidated by state authorities for reporting on the alleged corruption of a political figure, Natalia Rivera. Dianeth was communicated to take down important revelations from her website or she could be arrested. The journalist received three letters dated March 23 and April 19 from Special prosecutor's offices in Baja California state and Sonora state. CFWIJ is damaged by the unjustified use of power by state authorities to protect the alleged corruption of a political candidate. We demand special prosecutor offices in Baja California and Sonora to revoke these letters and stop interfering in Dianeth’s journalistic work. CFWIJ stands in solidarity with the journalist and offers her full support.

Gazeteci Durket Süren hakkında “örgüt üyeliği”, “örgüte bilerek ve isteyerek yardım” ve “örgüt propagandası yapmak” suçlamalarıyla açılan davanın altıncı duruşması dün Diyarbakır’da görüldü. Mahkeme, gazeteci Süren’in el konulan telefon ve bilgisayarına ait dijital inceleme sonucunun beklenmesine karar verdi. Bir sonraki duruşmayı 20 Eylül 2021 tarihine erteledi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak haksız yere yargılanan gazetecilere karşı açılan davaların gazetecileri sindirmek amacıyla sürekli ertelenmesini kınıyoruz. Gazetecilik suç değildir.

The trial against journalist Durket Süren was held yesterday in Diyarbakır. Durket faces charges of being affiliated with a terrorist organization, knowingly and willingly aiding an organization and spreading propaganda for an organization. The court ruled to wait for the digital examination report on Durket’s confiscated mobile phone and personal computer to be completed. Trial adjourned until September 20, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the unjust accusations against the journalist. We find these vicious attempts against journalists aiming to intimidate them. Once again we reiterate; journalism is not a crime.

Marianna Spring, an award-winning reporter covering disinformation and social media for BBC News was subjected to incessant online trolling. The journalist faced a barrage of hateful comments for her reporting on the conspiracy theories that were being promoted around the covid19 pandemic. Marianna said that she was bombarded with horrific abuse and threats. CFWIJ condemns this toxic culture of intimidating women journalists online. This dangerous trend has now prevailed all over in our online spaces and has made it hard to engage in civic discourse. We once again urge social media tech giants to come up with some solution to end this pattern of online harassment against women journalists.

Gazeteci Beyza Kural Yılancı’ya şiddet uygulayan üç polis hakkında Anayasa Mahkemesi’nin (AYM) verdiği ihlal kararının ardından şimdi de “iş ve çalışma hürriyetinin ihlali” suçundan dava açıldı. İlk duruşma 23 Haziran 2021’de görülecek. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak mahkeme kararını memnuniyetle karşılıyoruz. Haber takip etmek, bir gazetecinin temel hakkıdır. Kolluk kuvvetleri tarafından engellenemez. Şiddet uygulanamaz. Koalisyon olarak gazetecilere şiddet uygulayan tüm güvenlik güçlerine benzer yaptırımların uygulanmasını talep ediyoruz.

A lawsuit was filed against three police officers, who physically assaulted journalist Beyza Kural, over charges of “violating the freedom to work and labour". The first hearing will be held on June 23, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the court ruling. Following and reporting the news is a journalists' fundamental right and cannot be prevented. As the coalition, we demand similar sanctions against all security forces who use violence against journalists.

“Kobani olayları” veya bir diğer adıyla “6-8 Ekim olayları” olarak kamuoyunda bilinen ve 2014’te yaşanan protesto ve şiddet olaylarıyla ilgili açılan davanın, Ankara Sincan Ceza ve İnfaz Kurumları Kampüsü’nde görülen ilk duruşmayı takip etmek isteyen Mezopotamya Ajansı (MA) muhabiri Diren Yurtsever polis tarafından şiddet uygulanarak engellendi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak sahada çalışan gazetecilere yönelik güvenlik güçlerinin uyguladığı şiddet ve engelleme girişimlerini kınıyoruz. Türk yetkililerden gazetecilere özgürce mesleki faaliyetlerini yürütebilecekleri bir ortam sağlamalarını talep ediyoruz.

Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporter Diren Yurtsever was deliberately prevented and physically assaulted by the police while following the Kobani Trial which took place in Ankara. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the violence and prevention attempts by the security forces against journalists working in the field. We urge the Turkish authorities to provide journalists with an environment where they can freely conduct their journalistic coverage.

Jinnews muhabiri Rojda Aydın, gazeteciler Halime Parlak, Nurcan Yalçın ve beş kişi hakkında “Kanuna Aykırı Toplantı ve Yürüyüşlere Silahsız katılarak İhtara Rağmen Kendiliğinden Dağılmama” suçlamasıyla yargılandıkları davanın ilk duruşması bugün Mardin’de görüldü. Mahkeme, gazeteci avukatlarının beraat talebini reddederek bir sonraki duruşmayı 13 Ekim 2021 tarihine erteledi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak keyfi bahanelerle meslektaşlarımıza açılan davaları kınıyoruz. Yargılanan üç kadın gazetecinin derhal beraatını talep ediyoruz.

First hearing of the trial against journalists Rojda Aydın, Nurcan Yalçın and Halime Parlak over the charges with ‘being participants in a prohibited gathering, defying police orders to disband’ was held today in Mardin. The court adjourned the next hearing to October 13. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns these vicious attempts to intimidate journalists. We demand three journalists’ acquittal immediately.