Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: July 6, 2021

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

The sixth hearing of the trial against journalist Derya Okatan for the "insult" charges was held today in İstanbul. The prosecution in the trial requested Derya’s acquittal today on accounts of press freedom. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the development and calls the Turkish judiciary to set this request as precedent for the trials of other journalists. We demand the court acquit the journalist upon request.

The sixth hearing of the case with the allegation of "public insult" against journalist Derya Okatan was held today in İstanbul 39th Criminal Court of First Instance. The prosecutor of the trial, Emre Karaman, requested an acquittal to Derya on accounts of press freedom. The prosecutor also included that the alleged crime has not been proven against the journalist. The next hearing will be held on December 16, 2021. The verdict is expected at the next hearing.

Derya faced charges over the news entitled "Mersin Women's Platform: We are exposing the harassing lawyer Onur Kale". The journalist was the managing editor of the Etkin News Agency (ETHA) by the time the story was published on the website of the news outlet. In the news aired on May 1, 2016, it was alleged that lawyer Onur Kale sexually harassed eight women from Mersin Women's Platform, who were detained in Mersin. Following the news, an investigation was launched against Derya upon the complaint which the lawyer filed. The prosecutor dismissed the investigation at that time. However, Derya Okatan was sued as a result of the objection.

In the indictment, the journalist was accused of "containing a concrete assertion of an act that would offend the honour and dignity" and Derya was facing up to two years sentence in prison for "public insult".

Speaking to CFWIJ, Derya Okatan highlighted that such a lawsuit should never be filed against journalists. She said that she welcomed the prosecutor’s request for acquittal and expects the same decision from the judge. Derya emphasized that many journalists are appearing in court due to the stories they reveal about politics and corruption. Even though domestic violence stories are not a matter of the lawsuits, Derya said the male domination pressures many women journalists in many ways on the ground.

Regarding those pressures, Derya added, "When a story comes to crimes against women, we face many threats from the perpetrators like 'pull out these news' or 'remove our name'. I encountered a lot of harassment and pressure from time to time.” “All this has to end now,” she quoted.

The case is not the only case in which Okatan was tried. The journalist is being prosecuted on charges of spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization and blocking, disrupting the information system, destroying or changing data among six journalists who covered the emails allegedly belonging to former Finance Minister Berat Albayrak. Derya faces up to 11 years sentence in prison in this case. The next hearing will be held on May 5, 2021, at Istanbul 29th High Criminal Court.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands today's trial set a precedent for other cases. We expect a fair verdict from the judge to acquit Derya Okatan in the next session.

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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