Turkey: Eight Years-Long “KCK Press Case” Trial Is Adjourned Once Again
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: July 2, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 19th session of the hearings of “KCK Press Case” that has been ongoing for more than 8 years was held today in Istanbul. Journalists Nevin Erdemir and Semiha Alankuş are among the defendants.
In December 2011, 46 journalists were taken into custody and 32 of them were arrested in the police raid aiming at Kurdish media outlets, including Dicle News Agency, Özgür Gündem, Azadiya Welat, Demokratik Modernite, and Fırat Distribution.
Many journalistic activities such as their interviews, photos, press releases that they read, their notes, their talks with news sources, and names of news sources in their phones were cited in the indictment as evidence of the crime.
Within the scope of the lawsuit, the first hearing of which was held in 2012, journalists are charged with "membership to a terrorist organization", "managing a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".
During today's session, in which the defendant journalists did not attend, their lawyers Özcan Kılıç, Gülizar Tuncer, Zelal Pelin, Mehtap Acar Ulus and Hatice Yılmaz were present.
Due to changes in the composition of the court, old hearing minutes were read. The prosecution requested that the missing points be corrected.
The court adjourned the hearing to December 1st, 2020 while rejecting the acquittal requests of lawyers of Çağdaş Ulus and Yüksel Genç.
Coalition For Women In Journalism reminds the Turkish authorities that journalistic activities are protected under the Turkish Constitution and European Convention of Human Rights which Turkey is a signatory of. We are following the case and asking for the acquittal of the charges against journalists.
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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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