Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns Turkish Authorities For Continually Postponing The Hearings Against Journalists, And Demands Şerife Oruç’s Acquittal Immediately
Location: Turkey, Batman
Date: March 11, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 16th hearing of the trial against the closed Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Şerife Oruç was held today in Batman. The court postponed the next hearing until June 26, 2021, by giving additional time for the completion of witnesses statements. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Turkish authorities who constantly postponed the hearings to intimidate the journalists. We demand Şerife’s acquittal immediately. Journalism is not a crime.
The 16th hearing of the trial against DİHA in which was closed with the Decree-Law (Decree), reporter Şerife Oruç was held today at Batman 2nd High Criminal Court. The journalist was tried on the charge of being a member of a terrorist organization. The court ruled to give additional time to hear witnesses and postponed the next hearing to June 26, 2021.
Journalist Şerife Oruç was detained at Batman while covering the news in the field and was arrested on July 5, 2016, on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization. Şerife, who was prosecuted on terrorism charges, was released on 9 July 2018. Şerife was imprisoned for two years. She was detained again with an arrest warrant the day after her release from prison. She was freed a day after her detention.
In the previous hearing, the prosecutor requested additional time from the court for preparing his opinion about the case and asked the journalist to be tried for the crime of "Breaking the Unity of the State and the Unity of the Country" regulated in Article 302 of the Turkish Penal Code. The lawyer of the journalist, Mesut Aydın, stated that the prosecutor's office was trying to extend the case and argued that there were no conditions that would require his client to be sued from Article 302. Şerife’s lawyer had also requested the objection of the witness testimony whose presence was unknown.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the case of journalist Şerife Oruç. We believe that the pressure applied to journalists prosecuted for the journalism profession is intended to intimidate and silence. Once again, we demand the Turkish state to end pressure on press freedom. 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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