Turkey: CFWIJ Demands A Fair Trial Process To Be Followed Against Habertürk Columnist Nagehan Alçi
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: February 11, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The second hearing of the case against Habertürk columnist, Nagehan Alçı, was held today in İstanbul. The prosecutor of the lawsuit presented the final opinion for the accusations and requested from court that the columnist be convicted for insult. The next hearing was adjourned until March 10, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) follows this case intently. We demand a fair trial process to be followed against Nagehan.
The second hearing of the case against columnist Nagehan Alçı was held today at the İstanbul 2nd Court of First Instance. The journalist is being sued for her article titled "Minister of Justice's reaction to that embarrassing decision" published in Habertürk in June 2018. However, the case was subsequently postponed to March 10, 2021, after Nagehan’s defence.
In the article, Nagehan criticized the Judge of Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance, Hakkı Yalçınkaya. She wrote that "Unfortunately, the judge-prosecutor mentality, which does not care about individual rights, still reigns in places”. Nagehan accused Judge Yalçınkaya of wrongfully convicting Hrant Dink and his son Arat Dink simply because they were Armenian, adding that the judge’s decision led to Hırant Dink’s death.
Two years after the article was published, Judge Yalçınkaya filed a complaint against Nagehan regarding the alleged insult. Yalçınkaya claimed the article was "insulting and libellous", stating that he was targeted by terrorist organizations as a result. Upon the end of the investigation, initiated by the complaint, a lawsuit was filed demanding Nagehan Alçı be sentenced between three months to two years in prison for “insulting via an audio, text or video message”.
In the hearing today, the prosecutor of the lawsuit presented the final opinion for the accusations and requested from court that the columnist be convicted for insult. Also, the court accepted complainant Yalçınkaya's request to participate in the case. The next hearing was adjourned until March 10, 2021.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism continues to monitor this case. We believe in freedom of the press, and we stress that it is unacceptable to persecute journalists solely for the content they cover and the articles they write.
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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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