Turkey: Journalists Facing Up To 14 Years Prison Sentence Over A Report Revealed About Director Of Communications
The trial of former Cumhuriyet Daily staffers was held for the fifth time in İstanbul. The court adjourned the next hearing to September 27, 2022. Journalists face 14 years of a prison sentence, if convicted. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) urges Turkish authorities to file unjust trials against journalists as a vicious attack on press freedom. We call on the Turkish state to end the intimidation of journalists by legally harassing them. We reiterate once again that journalism is not a crime.
The fifth hearing against journalists Hazal Ocak, Olcay Büyüktaş, İpek Özbey, and photojournalist Vedat Arık, was held in Istanbul’s 26th High Criminal Court. The journalists are facing charges over the article published on April 14, 2020. The story was about the land beside the home of Presidency Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, in İstanbul. The indictment was filed after Fahrettin Altun's criminal complaint stated, "it was obligatory to restrict freedom of expression to protect the public and the state". After the story was circulated, Altun filed a complaint with the authorities, which launched the lawsuit.
The court rejected the request of the defendants to examine the position of Fahrettin Altun the Home Secretary and whether he was among the people who took part in counter-terrorism. The court accepted the plea of the plaintiff and gave the defendants additional time to complete their defense. The next hearing was adjourned until September 27.
Journalists İpek Özbey and Hazal Ocak, took to their Twitter accounts before the trial to highlight the situation they faced. “Due to our coverage about the demolition of the fireplace built by Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun without permission, me and three of my colleagues will appear before the court again tomorrow. We are on trial on charges of 'terrorism' upon Altun's complaint,” the journalists said with the hashtag #JournalismIsNotACrime.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism considers the lawsuits brought against journalists as an attack on press freedom. Since the beginning of 2022, we have been monitoring more than 30 legal cases against women journalists. Journalists are obliged to share publicly relevant information as a necessity of their profession and cannot be prosecuted. We demand the Turkish authorities provide an environment for journalists to report freely and follow universal principles.
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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