Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Journalist Sibel Hürtaş’s Acquittal Immediately
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: March 4, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 10th hearing of the trial against journalists Sibel Hürtaş and Hayri Demir was held today in Ankara. The court ruled to halt the prosecution of journalists over the charges of spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting the public to hatred. Also, the court decided to wait for the Justice Ministry’s permission to prosecute the journalists for charging about “denigrating the Turkish nation”. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) denounces the charges that journalists had to face. We demand the journalists’ acquittal immediately. Journalism is not a crime.
Artı TV Ankara Representative Sibel Hürtaş was one of 11 people detained for their social media posts about the Turkish military “Olive Branch” operation in Afrin in January 2018. The lawsuit was filed after the journalists’ detentions on accusations of inciting hatred and hostility as well as spreading terrorist propaganda. If found guilty, they face a sentence of two to eight years.
Sibel interviewed former AKP Deputy Ahmet Faruk Ünsal and the deputy HDP Deputy Osman Baydemir in January 2018 in a special broadcast concerning the Afrin Operations. After sharing the announcement of the broadcast on her social media account, police raided Sibel’s house and detained her.
The 10th hearing of the case against journalists was held today in Ankara’s 15th High Criminal Court. The court ruled to halt the prosecution of journalists over the charges of spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting the public to hatred. The journalists faced up to eight years sentence in prison, if convicted.
In the previous hearing, the Ministry of Justice had not submitted a request for a prosecution permit as per Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and the court still waits for the Justice Ministry’s permission to prosecute the journalists for charging about “denigrating the Turkish nation”.
Sibel Hürtaş is an award-winning Turkish journalist who focuses on human rights and judicial and legal affairs. Her career includes 15 years as a reporter for the Turkish newspapers Evrensel, Taraf, Sabah and HaberTürk. She won the Metin Göktepe and the Musa Anter Journalism Awards in 2004, as well as the Turkish Journalists Association’s Merit Award in 2005.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands Turkish authorities to end the legal persecution against journalists. We are deeply concerned about the increasing repression against journalists in the country. We demand the Turkish authorities end their intimidation policies and dismiss all the charges which journalists face.
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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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