Turkey: Diyarbakır Prosecutor Submitted Final Opinion, Asks Court To Convict Journalist Hatice Şahin On Bogus Terror Charge
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: May 11, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The ninth hearing of the terror-related case against Hatice Şahin, editor of Yeni Yaşam newspaper, adjourned on Wednesday. The prosecution finalized its arguments and demanded Hatice be convicted of being affiliated with an armed terror organization. The journalist faces up to 15 years prison sentence if convicted.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the weaponization of the country’s anti-terrorism laws against critical journalists. Prolonged trials where the process becomes the punishment are a deplorable method to intimidate journalists into silence.
An investigation was launched against Hatice by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on October 9, 2018, and the police subsequently raided her home on October 18, 2018. She was briefly detained after the raid as part of the investigation. The police also seized Hatice’s belongings and electronic devices during the raid.
On October 23, 2020, Hatice was indicted for participation in the organizational actions of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). The journalist's travels between Istanbul and Diyarbakır during September and December 2017 and her membership in the Free Women Congress Association were cited as evidence against her as were her phone conversations with news sources.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Diyarbakır’s prosecution Office concluded its arguments and submitted a final opinion about Hatice. Giving secret witnesses’ accusations, the prosecutor claimed the journalist was linked and supported the organizational actions of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). The journalist's flight tickets to İstanbul from Diyarbakır were considered a criminal element and also she was accused of being a part of a women’s group called “Free Women's Movement (TJA)”.
According to Deniz Tekin from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), considering the journalist's flights, and the statements of secret witnesses, it was claimed that she served the "so-called" Kurdish National Unity to disrupt the unity and integrity of the Turkish state, causing social separation and aimed to affect the public. Arguing that the journalist committed the crime of being a member of the impeached organization, the prosecutor demanded that Hatice be convicted on the same charge. The prosecutor also requested the continuation of the imposed travel ban on the journalist.
Resul Temur, the lawyer Hatice, declared that they did not agree with the prosecutor’s arguments and requested additional time from the court to prepare the defense.
The court accepted giving additional time to the defendant and adjourned the next hearing until September 19.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prolonged legal proceedings as a new method to silence and intimidate critical voices. We demand the immediate acquittal of the journalist. We observe that legal attempts to silence journalists cast a shadow over press freedom. We urge the Turkish state to take a sensitive approach to create an environment where journalists can write freely without being legally threatened. Journalism is not a crime.
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.
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