Turkey: IMC TV Program Coordinator And Journalist Ayşegül Doğan Sentenced To Six Years In Prison
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: Demecber 8, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The eighth hearing of the trial against journalist Ayşegül Doğan, the program coordinator of İMC TV, was held yesterday. She has been charged with establishing or leading an armed terrorist organization and sentenced to six years in prison. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) denounces the court verdict and demands Ayşegül’s immediate acquittal. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime and journalists must not be persecuted for upholding press freedoms.
The trial against Ayşegül Doğan, host of the Gündem Müzakere program on the now shutdown IMC TV news channel, took place yesterday at the 9th Diyarbakır High Criminal Court. The journalist was tried on the grounds of meetings, interviews, and activities she participated in with the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) executives, within the scope of her journalistic coverage. Doğan’s lawyers intend to appeal the court decision’s decision and have the verdict overturned.
Doğan's lawyers Ahmet Özmen, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Emel Ataktürk attended the hearing as her defense. Ayşegül tried to excuse herself from the trial, claiming to be in quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. The court rejected her excuse, citing the necessary conclusion of the case in a reasonable time and continued the proceedings without the journalist present. Ayşegül’s participation in DTK meetings was deemed as clear and condemning evidence for the guilty verdict. The lawyers of the journalist declared that the evidence against Ayşegül was illegally obtained and it did not prove her affiliation to an armed terrorist organization. The journalist’s lawyers demand her acquittal.
In her defense, lawyer Emel Ataktürk Sevimli stated that her client did not actually participate in DTK, but was recruited in absentia. DTK maintains that Doğan was a permanent member. Sevimli added that during the wiretaps in another file, the journalist wanted her membership withdrawn. Doğan’s lawyer continued: “Looking at all the bases in the file, the evidence proves that our client is not a permanent councillor of DTK. On the other hand, she attended all DTK meetings as a journalist. "
After announcing its verdict, the court sentenced journalist Ayşegül Doğan to six years in prison for being a member of an armed terrorist organization. The court also stated that a travel ban will be imposed on the journalist until the conviction is finalized.
CFWIJ demands the immediate acquittal of Ayşegül Doğan. The brutal sanctions imposed on journalistic activities are entirely unacceptable. We believe these attempts to silence journalists cast a dangerous shadow over press freedom. We demand the authorities ensure a safe environment where journalists can write freely without the fear of being threatened or legally persecuted.
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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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