Turkey: Mesopotamia Agency’s Van Bureau Is Raided Among Four Detainees Are Two Women Journalists From Jin News
Location: Turkey, Van
Date: October 7, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Earlier yesterday police forces raided the Mesopotamia Agency Office in Van and detained 4 journalists.
Mesopotamia Agency's (MA) Van Bureau and the homes of many journalists were raided in the morning. MA reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, and Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala were detained during the raids.
The police confiscated the journalists' cameras and technical equipment. Meanwhile, a former newspaper distributor for Yeni Yaşam newspaper, Şükran Erdem was also detained during the raids in Van.
The detention of journalists is extended to four days with a restriction to report on the case.
Journalists who spoke with The Coalition For Women In Journalism say that the main reason of the raid was to put pressure on two MA journalists who reported on the torture of villagers who were thrown of helicopters, one of whom died earlier last week.
During the raid nothing but news equipment was confiscated and no “illegal” publications or weapons were found.
Extention of pretrial detention time and putting restriction on reporting cases of journalist arrests has become a norm in Kurdish cities of Turkey and is used as a way to further repress the freedom of the press. The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds such practices contradictory to law and human rights principles.
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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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