Turkey: Legal Attacks Continue To Threaten Journalists — Durket Süren Under Trial For “Terrorism”
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: February 13, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The third hearing of lawsuit against journalist Durket Süren adjourned on Wednesday, February 5. The said adjournment took place because the criminal reports relevant to her case were not presented to the court.
Durket has been accused of “willingly helping a terrorist organization" and "creating propaganda for a terrorist organization”. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that all the charges against our colleague should be dropped immediately. “These charges are baseless. We have closely scrutinized Durket’s case and there is no variable or indicative connection with any non-state activity, and especially a terrorist one,” said CFWIJ founder Kiran Nazish. “We kindly request Turkish courts and govt that often charges journalists with such cases to re-evaluate the cost of these proceedings on these individuals and the profession they represent. These cases are simply a waste of time for journalists, their lawyers, and the court. Let Durket and other journalists to do their job.”
Durket has also been accused of selling copies of Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem. Both papers were shut down in October 2016. Using her phone calls and Twitter posts as evidence, a lawsuit was filed against her. Durket has been facing a trial without being arrested.
Speaking to CFWIJ, Durket Süren said “I established a distribution company at that time. The newspapers were being distributed by this company. Rojeva Medya and Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper were mostly distributed by my company. I have been accused of not only the distribution of these newspapers, but also my social media posts and other journalistic activities. I deny all these accusations.”
She did not attend the recent hearing, but her lawyers, Pirozhan Karali and Yusuf Erdoğan, were present. During the hearing, the prosecution requested that she be sentenced to eight and a half to 20 years. We condemn this unjust request by the prosecution and expect better from the Turkish judiciary.
The court’s chairman stated that the documentation of her bank account transactions and results of the criminal investigation have not yet arrived from the Diyarbakır Police Department and Financial Crimes Investigation Board. The prosecution and Durket's lawyers have requested for the completion of the missing documents. The court has adjourned the next hearing of her case until May 18.
The first hearing of the case took place last year on May 8. When speaking in her defense during the hearing, Durket said that she worked in a women's news agency and reported on women's rights. She further added that she has a social media account, but did not share any content to create propaganda for a terrorist organization.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urged Turkish authorities to stop persecuting journalists using legal tactics. The state should allow journalists to work freely, instead of putting them behind bars.
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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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.