Turkey: An Indictment Filed In Mardin Against Jinnews Reporter And Two Women Journalists
Location: Turkey, Mardin
Date: November 20, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The Mardin Public Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Jinnews reporter Rojda Aydın, journalists Halime Parlak, Nurcan Yalçın, and two other journalists alleging they were participants in a prohibited gathering, defying police orders to disband. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this investigation and demands these contrived charges be dropped.
A lawsuit was filed against the Mesopotamia News Agency (MA) and Jinnews reporters for their alleged participation in a demonstration held on August 20, 2019. The demonstrations reflect the public outcry to the decision to appoint trustees to Mardin’s city hall. While covering the protests, MA reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç, Jinnews reporter Rojda Aydın and journalists Halime Parlak and Nurcan Yalçın were detained. The journalists were released after a week in police custody.
This is the second lawsuit filed against the journalists in relation to the anti-trustee protests of 2019. Following the demonstrations of last year, the initial charges claimed the journalists were spreading propaganda as members of a radical organization. Ultimately, a decision of non-prosecution was declared for the investigation launched against the journalists.
The second indictment against the journalists, over the same demonstration, was drafted by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The lawsuit was accepted by the Mardin Criminal Court of First Instance on November 19, 2020, over a year after the incident in question. The successive lawsuit highlighted the 30-day action and demonstration ban that the Mardin governorate had enacted following the widely disputed decision to appoint trustees to the municipality. Consequently, the anti-trustee demonstrations were technically unlawful.
The indictment implicates the journalists in the illegal protests, claiming they resisted official orders to leave the intervention zone and took part in the activist group’s demonstration. The prosecutor stated that through the examination and statements taken, it was determined that the suspects were among the group committing the illegal act, suggesting enough suspicion to warrant a public lawsuit against them. These allegations are misplaced, as the journalists were not participating in the protests, but merely reporting on the demonstrations for their affiliated news agencies.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the investigation and calls on the authorities to respect press freedom. We are aware of the escalating pressure on the press in Turkey and we monitor these incidents closely. We demand an immediate end to these oppressive practices and arbitrary legal harassment. Journalists must not be persecuted for following and reporting on the developments in the country. Journalism is not a crime.
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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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