Turkey: CFWIJ Demands The Acquittal Of Derya Okatan And The Five Other Journalists In The Redhack Trial
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: Demecber 16, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 10th hearing of the case in which six journalists, including Derya Okatan, were tried at Istanbul 29th High Criminal Court. The journalists are on trial for their coverage of emails allegedly belonging to former minister Berat Albayrak. The court rejected all of the journalists’ requests and adjourned the next hearing to May 5, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the charges be dropped and the journalists acquitted
Six journalists are facing charges of blocking, disrupting, destroying or changing data; spreading terrorist propaganda; being affiliated with a terrorist organization; and acting on behalf of a terrorist organization. Journalist Derya Okatan did not attend the hearing.
Journalist Tunca Öğreten, who attended the hearing and made his defence, drew attention to the fact that the case has been on-going for three years. He said, “We have been stolen from our lives for three years with ridiculous accusations.” Tunca continued, “The party lawyer wants us not to be punished, but cannot say what we should be punished for. I want this trial to end and demand my acquittal as soon as possible”.
After the journalists made their requests, the court opted to maintain the foreign travel ban on Mahir Kanaat, Ömer Çelik, Metin Yoksu and Tunca Öğreten. The court also rejected the journalists’ request to be excluded from the hearings. The court decided to send the file to the prosecutor's office for the preparation of an opinion on the merits. The next hearing will take place on May 5, 2021.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates that the fundamental duty of a journalist is to inform the public. Journalists must not be prosecuted nor silenced as a result of the stories they cover. We demand an end to unfair practices that target journalists and appeal for their acquittal.
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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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