Turkey: First Hearing Of The Case Against Journalist Hikmet Tunç Was Not Held Due To The New Procedure In The Law
Location: Turkey, Van
Date: October 21, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
First hearing of the case against JinNews Van bureau reporter Hikmet Tunç was going to be held today. However the court decided to cancel the hearing and apply “simplified procedure” as prescribed by the newly introduced legal reform package. According to this, the case will be held without trial, defense statements will be heard in writing and the verdict will be notified to the accused in writing. The new “simplified procedure” is highly criticised by legal professionals as it breaches the “habeas corpus” principle of the rule.
The indictment against JinNews Women’s Agency reporter Hikmet Tunç was completed by Muradiye Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on April 2, 2020. It was launched after Harun Yücel’s official complaint, who was the district governor in the meantime, about the article titled “Muradiye waterfalls, once made present for 4 million 500 thousand TL’s, left to its fate” was published.
The article stated the following:
“Scandals were revealed in the report, prepared by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), after they took the municipality from the trustees at the local elections on March 31, following the inspections made at the waterfall. Restoration material was piled up at the entrance of the waterfall, and the companies had disappeared without finishing the project. According to the information stated in the report, Muradiye Waterfall landscaping and recreation area construction work negotiated tendering was held on August 1, 2018.“
Hikmet Tunç is accused of “publicly insulting a public official due to the performance of his public duty” according to the article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code and is requested to be sentenced to, from one year two months to two years four months of imprisonment.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds intimidation of women journalists through the use of legal procedures utterly disturbing. Two weeks ago, Van bureau of Mesopotamia News Agency was raided and four journalists, among whom two are colleagues of Hikmet Tunç from JinNews were arrested. The two women journalists arrested are still being kept in the males ward without proper heating, clothing and access to nutritious food. We are also concerned about the new procedure in the law which breaches basic principles of law and we demand that Hikmet Tunç’s case be handled in an impartial manner.
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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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