Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: February 16, 2021

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

The lawsuit filed against journalists who were beaten and detained in the police raid on Özgür Gündem newspaper was postponed once again. The next hearing of the trial, in which five female journalists are being tried, will be held on April 22. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns these unfair trials against journalists in Turkey. We consider these trials are constantly postponed to intimidate journalists. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime.

The eighth hearing of the trial against 22 journalists who were beaten and detained during the police raid against Özgür Gündem Newspaper in 2016, was again adjourned. The newspaper was closed by the government after the coup attempt in 2016. In the case, 22 journalists, five of them women, are being tried on charges of "insulting a public official" and "preventing a public official from performing its duty". The names of the five female journalists on trial are Amine Demirkıran, Elif Aydoğmuş, Günay Aksoy, Gülfem Karataş and Reyhan Hacıoğlu.

The eighth hearing of the trial against journalists was held at the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance today. While the journalists did not attend the hearing, lawyers were present in the court. The lawyers demanded the acquittal of the journalists, stating that there was no evidence or statement that the crime occurred. The court decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrants issued for the four defendants. At the previous hearing of the trial which was held on October 22, the court decided that the file should be examined in terms of the decision. However, no decision was ruled today. The next hearing will be held on April 22, 2021.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the legal persecution against journalists in Turkey. Postponing the trials are new methods of aiming to intimidate female journalists in the country. We demand the Turkish authorities abandon their policies of intimidation by the judiciary against journalists. 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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