Turkey: No Relief For Beritan Canözer As The Court Board Changes And Adjourns The Hearing Of Bogus Terror Case Against Her
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: June 25, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The second hearing of the case against journalist Beritan Canözer was held in Diyarbakır. The journalist was sued on charges of "spreading propaganda" over a social media account that allegedly belonged to her. The court board changed at the second hearing and adjourned the case until October 13. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the trials that violate press freedom, alleging social media posts are criminal. We demand Beritan’s immediate acquittal.
The second hearing of the case brought against JİNNEWS editor Beritan Canözer on the charge of "making propaganda for an organization through the media'' was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Beritan’s lawyer Resul Temur represented her at the hearing. According to JİNNEWS, the first hearing minutes were read due to the change of the court board. The prosecution and lawyer Resul Temur demanded that the missing elements be completed.
The court ruled to seek details of past judgments in cases against Beritan Canözer and adjourned the next hearing to October 13.
Beritan was detained on April 4, 2021, during the police raid at her house as part of the investigation opened by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, citing the posts made about Beritan on the social media account named “Bêrîtan Sarya” as criminal. The journalist was released after judicial control was imposed on her after four-day detention. Later, a lawsuit was filed against the journalist on the charge of "spreading propaganda for an organization through the press". The journalist faces up to five years prison sentence if convicted.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prolonged cases and the judicial mechanism to intimidate journalists with baseless charges. The accusations against Beritan are part of policies that aim to silence critical voices. We demand the immediate acquittal of journalist Beritan Canözer. 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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