Turkey: Journalist Derya Okatan Fined 25 Thousand Turkish Liras Over Her Journalistic Coverage
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: April 21, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The third hearing of the trial against journalist Derya Okatan was held today in Ankara. The Court fined Derya 25,000 Turkish liras for the “spreading terrorist propaganda” charge and directed her to pre-payment within 10 days. Otherwise, the journalist will appear for the next hearing on September 22. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the judicial fine imposed on Derya based on her journalistic coverage. We demand the Turkish authorities annul the verdict and acquit the journalist immediately.
Derya was accused of "spreading propaganda for an organization in a chain" over a coverage posted on the social media accounts of Etkin News Agency (ETHA). At that time Derya was the editor-in-chief of the news outlet and the social media post was considered criminal evidence against her. The accusation includes the reports regarding the developments and criticism against the "Operation Olive Branch" launched by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Afrin in 2018.
The third hearing of the case against the journalist was held today at Ankara’s 4th Criminal High Court. Derya and her lawyer attended today’s hearing. The court ruled to impose a punitive fine of 25,000 Turkish Liras upon journalists for "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization." Giving 10 days for Derya to make the prepayment, the court notified the journalist and her lawyer that if she fails to pay within said time, the next hearing of the trial will be held on September 22, 2022.
In the previous hearing on January 26, the prosecutor submitted his final opinion and requested Derya to be sentenced to more than eight years in prison for ‘propaganda’ charges.
The journalist was detained in Ankara on February 21, 2019, after the police raid on Derya’s house as part of an investigation. Derya was briefly detained after an interview with university student Merve Demirel and was harassed by a police officer during a demonstration in Ankara on February 16, 2019.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the verdict against Derya for her journalistic coverage. Journalism has a fundamental duty to inform the public. We remind the Turkish judiciary that journalism is not a crime, and demand an annulment of the fine and an immediate acquittal of the journalist. We reiterate once again that 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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