Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Journalist Reyhan Çapan’s Acquittal Immediately
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: February 24, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
19th hearing of the trial against former Özgür Gündem editor, Reyhan Çapan, and her colleagues were held today at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court. The hearing was postponed once again after the court ruled to wait for the execution of arrest warrants issued for defendants and ordered their initial testimonies to be taken. The trial was adjourned until June 22, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) considers constant postponement of the trials against journalists is a new method to intimidate them. We demand the charges on Reyhan and all other journalists be dismissed immediately.
Özgür Gündem’s editor-in-chief, Reyhan Çapan, its co-editor-in-chief, Hüseyin Aykol, Hasan Başak and some of its writers have been sued for articles published in the paper. The Özgür Gündem reporters have been accused of insulting the president and spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization over the article entitled “The palace gone insane” in September 2015. If it is convicted Reyhan will sentence ten years in prison over the terror charges.
Özgür Gündem was shut down by the Turkish government in August 2016.
In the hearing today, the court ruled to wait for the execution of arrest warrants issued for the defendants Kemal Yakut and Hasan Başak. The court also ordered their initial testimonies to be taken and has not yet made an interlocutory order. The trial was adjourned until June 22, 2021.
Since the beginning of 2021, CFWIJ has monitored and documented more than 40 women journalists facing legal persecution or incarceration in Turkey. These incidents are a major interference to press freedom and illustrate the oppressive tactics used by Turkish authorities to silence the press. CFWIJ follows these cases with great concern.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the continual postponement of ongoing cases against journalists. We demand the abandonment of the policy of intimidation applied by the judiciary in Turkey. We emphasize that no one should be prosecuted for their journalistic coverage. We reiterate once again journalism is not a crime. We demand the immediate acquittal of all journalists who face legal persecution.
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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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