Turkey: CFWIJ Denounces Four-Day Detention Of Journalist Rojin Altay
Location: Turkey
Date: February 1, 2023Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Journalist Rojin Altay was taken into custody while trying to board a flight from İstanbul to Diyarbakır. No information was provided on the reason for the detention. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands cessation of the continued harassment of Rojin Altay. We hold the police department accountable for abuse of power.
On January 28, journalist Rojin Altay working at pro-Kurdish daily newspaper Yeni Yaşam, was taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate. Altay was trying to catch a flight from İstanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Diyarbakır, located in southeastern Anatolia. Altay was detained as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Altay was brought to the Istanbul Police Department on Vatan Street.
At the police prefecture, Altay's father was phoned to be informed that his daughter was taken into custody. Altay's Lawyer Sercan Korkmaz, phoned the Vatan Police Department to talk to Altay. He was informed that there was a 24-hour view restriction decision about her. Korkmaz was not notified of the reasons for Altay's detention.
On Sunday, January 29, Korkmaz was allowed to meet with Altay. However, due to confidentiality decisions imposed on Altay's file, the reasons for her detention remain undisclosed. The prosecutor ordered a first extension of her custody time for an extra 24 hours. On Monday, the prosecutor ordered a further 24-hour extension and the journalist remained in custody. On January 31, Altay gave a statement at the Istanbul Police Department. The journalist was released on condition of judicial control after the prosecution's testimony was completed.
Furthermore, Yeni Yaşam's website yeniyasamgazetesi3.com was blocked for unknown reasons. The website is still unreachable but continues publishing under yeniyasamgazetesi4.com.
In addition, an investigation was launched against Osman Akın, the Editor-in-Chief of Yeni Yaşam. On June 8, İstanbul's 9th Penal Court issued the confiscation of an issue of Yeni Yaşam published on June 7, 2022. Akın was charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization". He testified that the published news contained no criminal elements and did not accept the accusation.
This is not the first case of harassment and detention for Rojin Altay. On February 4, 2021, Altay was briefly detained during the police intervention while following the press briefing on the establishment of the United Struggle Forces (BMG) in Istanbul.
On July 31, 2021, Altay, as part of a group of journalists, was following a crowd gathered to protest the assassination of seven members of the same family in Konya. A mob of people opposed to the protest physically assaulted the journalists. The attackers tried to confiscate the journalists' mobile phones and bags. Meanwhile, the police did not intervene in the attack.
In 2022, CFWIJ documented more than 150 cases of violations against women journalists. The state has routinely weaponized its institutions to target them. In 2022, at least 50 women faced legal persecution while 47 have been assaulted in the field by either the police force or supporters of the state. Women journalists have also been targeted through organized troll campaigns online as well as through state media for criticizing government policies. Despite these intimidation tactics to silence them, however, women journalists continue to fulfill their civic role of holding power accountable.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism harshly criticizes the use of all possible means to undermine critics in Turkey. We demand that media pluralism is encouraged instead of challenged in the country. Journalists like Rojin Altay are a vital asset to the dissemination of independent, unbiased information. Journalism is not a crime. It is a dignified public service.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.