Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: March 3, 2021

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

The second hearing of the trial against journalist Nurcan Yalçın, who is being tried on charges of being affiliated with a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist propaganda was held in Diyarbakır today. The court ruled to send the case-file to the prosecutor’s office for the final opinion as to the accusations to be drafted. The next hearing will be held on June 9, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the judicial process carried out with unfounded allegations against journalist Nurcan. We demand the journalist’s acquittal immediately.

The second hearing of the case against Nurcan Yalçın was held today at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court. If convicted, Nurcan will be sentenced to 20 years in prison over the charges of being affiliated with a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist propaganda. In the hearing today, the journalist did not attend. Her lawyer Resul Temur was present. Among the shreds of evidence brought against Nurcan Yalçın’s lawsuit was a secret witness statement claiming to be a senior officer of the Rosa Women’s Association, a membership certificate and her social media posts.

During the hearing, the anonymous witness’ statement was taken and added to the case file. Lawyer Resul Temur conveyed to the court that he did not accept the confidential witness statement regarding the case against the journalist Nurcan Yalçın. Temur requested a report from the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) about the HTS records of the phones of the witnesses included the case and his client to determine whether Nurcan had any contact with these persons. Stating that the journalist did not have any contact with the witnesses. Nurcan’s lawyer said that the photos in the social media posts, which were accused in the indictment, belong to the journalist’s nephew.

The court rejected the journalist lawyer’s request to extend the prosecution, claiming it would not affect the outcome and ruled to send the case-file to the prosecutor’s office for the final opinion as to the accusations to be drafted. The trial adjourned until June 9, 2021.

Since the beginning of 2021, the CFWIJ has documented 36 cases against female journalists on trial in Turkey. We keep a close eye and monitor the cases with great concern. We demand the Turkish authorities to abandon their intimidation policies against journalists through the judiciary and to acquit Nurcan Yalçın immediately. 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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