Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: December 3, 2020

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

Journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu, the editor of the Mesopotamia Agency, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization at the first hearing of her trial. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the court’s verdict and demands Dicle’s immediate acquittal.

A lawsuit was filed against Dicle Müftüoğlu, the editor of the Mesopotamia Agency and co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), for a post on her social media account in 2014. In the indictment, the prosecution asked for Müftüoğlu to be sentenced to one to five years in prison on the charge of spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization.

The first hearing of the case was held yesterday in Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court. Journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu and her lawyer were present for the hearing.

In her defence, Dicle did not accept the accusations and demanded the charges be dropped. She explained that the photo she shared on her social media account was part of her coverage for the news agency she worked for at that time. Despite her testimony, the prosecutor demanded Müftüoğlu’s arrest with the charge of spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization through the media outlet. While the court sentenced journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu to 15 months in prison, she has yet to be incarcerated.

CFWIJ has documented at least ten cases of legal harassment against women journalists in Turkey within a single month. In most cases, journalists are alleged to be spreading propaganda for an organization by merely posting relevant information on their social media accounts. These social media posts are used as misconstrued evidence against the journalists, even leading to wrongful imprisonment.

CFWIJ follows the attempts to silence the press with great concern. We believe that the judicial persecution of journalists for their social media posts is a new method to censor press freedom. We call on Turkish authorities to respect the freedom of expression and stop harassing journalists for their work.

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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.