Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Immediate Acquittal Of Journalist Roza Metina
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: May 28, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The first hearing of the trial against Roza Metina, the Kurdish editor of Jin News, was held in Diyarbakır. The court ordered the file to the prosecutor's office for its opinion and postponed the next hearing to September 14, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) finds continuous postponement of unjust cases aimed to silence and intimidate journalists. We demand Turkish authorities to acquit the journalist immediately.
The first hearing of the trial against Roza Metina, a Kurdish news editor in Jin News and Kurdish Pen member, was held at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. Roza was charged with being affiliated with a terrorist group. She was detained and released within the scope of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) investigation initiated by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 20, 2020.
Roza was taken into custody as part of the investigation launched on November 20, 2020, and was released conditionally on 23 November 2020, after three-day detention. Following the investigation, a lawsuit was filed against her over charges of being a member of a terrorist organization. In the indictment, activities at the DTK, her membership in the Kurdish Writers' Association, and the banned books, which were seized during the police raid, were placed as criminal evidence.
In her defence, Roza stated that her profession was journalism, and she was a member of the Kurdish Writers Association. She quoted that the association was legal before it was closed in 2016. Roza said that the books mentioned in the indictment were for her research. Adding to her defence, she had no relations with DTK and objected to all the accusations against her. She demanded her acquittal from the court board.
Speaking after Roza's defence, lawyer Temur emphasized that the publications seized in the journalist's house could not be shown as an element of a crime. The lawyer also stated that the identity cards and documents were found in the building of DTK, it is not clear by whom and for what purpose and added that the journalist could not be accused of these claims.
The prosecution demanded the missing elements of the case be completed.
The court board ordered the file to the prosecutor's office for an opinion about the journalist. The next hearing will be held on September 14, 2021.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the recent judicial intimidation policies against journalists in Turkey. We find the lawsuits that are constantly postponed aim to silence the journalists. We demand journalist Roza Metina’s acquittal immediately.
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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