Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Justice And An Immediate Release Of Imprisoned Journalists Şehriban Abi And Nazan Sala
Location: Turkey, Van
Date: March 30, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) calls upon the Turkish state to end inhumane torture against imprisoned journalists Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala. We demand their immediate release and acquittal from the unjust trial they will appear on April 2, 2021. Journalism is not a crime.
On October 6, 2020, journalists Şehriban and Nazan were detained during the raid at the Mesopotamia Agency’s Van office. Four days later, they were arrested for reporting about two Kurdish villagers named Servet Turgut and Osman Şiban, who were tortured and thrown from a national army helicopter. One of the victims of the torture, Servet Turgut, died from his injuries on September 30.
CFWIJ has closely monitored the developments regarding the arrested journalists Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala. We documented that the journalists were tortured and held in the male ward, facing deplorable conditions. The journalists endured malicious behaviour in prison, which violated human rights. During their 14-day quarantine, imposed as part of pandemic precautions, they were held in unhygienic conditions, their basic needs unmet. Despite the cold weather conditions in Van, the journalists were denied the necessities to stay warm. During their four-day detention, the journalists were not allowed to see their lawyers and were therefore unable to prepare their defence.
The indictment against journalists Şehriban and Nazan was completed on February 16, 2021, and officially accepted by the Van 5th High Criminal Court. Their first hearing of the trial will be held on April 2, 2021. The journalists have now been behind bars for 172 days awaiting their trial.
The prosecutor requested a sentence of up to 15 years in prison on the charge of being members of an armed terrorist organization. Journalist Nazan Sala also faces up to 13 years in jail for accusations of spreading terrorist propaganda through the press.
The foundation and purpose of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) were detailed in the 14-page indictment. The indictment claims that the journalists worked for the organizations affiliated with the Press Committee mentioned in the KCK contract. The document also declared the media outlets, where the journalists work, incite public hatred and enmity, and undermine the state and its institutions by fabricating terrorist propaganda. The prosecution claims the media outlets in question do not typically report sports, magazines, or natural events.
The journalists’ notes, along with some issues of the Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat newspapers, were seized during the police raid and cited as evidence. The journalists’ phone calls and digital materials from MA's Van office were also scrutinized as part of the indictment’s preparation.
Over the years, MA has been systematically pressured by the Turkish government. Jin News, the only Turkish news agency with all-female reporters, has been on the government’s radar for quite some time. Unsurprisingly, Jin News journalists consistently face detainments and legal harassment from the government.
One example of this persecution is Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporter Ruken Demir. The journalist, who was arrested on November 16, 2019, was released by the court's pending trial at the first hearing on March 6, 2020. Ruken was charged with being a member of an illegal organization due to her interviews. If convicted, she will be sentenced to 15 years in prison over terror charges. Ruken was subjected to abysmal conditions while in prison. Insects in food, a ban on letters and ignored health complications were the inhumane torture she faced.
Another journalist Melike Aydın faces charges of "being a member of a terrorist organization". On November 12, 2019, Jin news reporter Melike Aydın was taken into custody, after her home in Izmir was raided by Turkish authorities. The journalist was taken to the Provincial Security Directorate’s Anti-Terror branch and detained in handcuffs with an arrest warrant. All of her equipment, including her phone, was seized by the security forces.
Melike was also arrested on November 16, 2019, with her colleague Ruken, for “engaging in activities on behalf of a terrorist organization”. Both journalists were taken into custody for reporting about the Kaz Mountains and protests by the Çiğli Women's Platform, both of which were used against them as criminal evidence. Melike’s lawyers filed an appeal to the court for the release of the journalist after the acceptance of the indictment, and the court ruled Melike’s release on January 30, 2020.
MA reporter, Zeynep Durgut, who will appear in court with Şehriban and Nazan, was also detained for four days on December 18, 2020. Zeynep was taken into custody during the investigation into her story that revealed the brutal violence against two Kurdish villagers, who was tortured and thrown from a national army helicopter.
Kibriye Evren, another Jin News reporter, is facing up to 20 years sentence in prison over the charges of being a member of a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist propaganda due to her social media posts, travelling abroad and confidential witness statements. The journalist was arrested in Diyarbakır on October 9, 2018, and was released at the eighth hearing of the case filed against her. At the journalist's hearing on March 10, 2020, the judicial control requirement was lifted, but her travel ban remained. Her hearings of the trials continuously are being postponed due to the attempts to silence her. She is on trial for a long time and still waiting for the court verdict.
In conclusion, as the CFWIJ, we demand the authorities recognize and reprimand crimes against humanity, rather than putting politically-polarized pressure on press freedom in the country. We reiterate once again that journalism is not a crime. The arrests and methods of legal intimidation against journalists are blatant attacks on press freedom in Turkey. We affirm that our colleagues Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala fulfil their journalistic duties and do not commit crimes in pursuit of their coverage. We will follow their trial on Friday. We call upon the Turkish state to end to intimidate journalists and release our colleagues 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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