Turkey: No Verdict In Özgür Gündem Case For The 21st Time
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: November 3, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The trial against Özgür Gündem newspaper’s former managing editor Reyhan Çapan and four of its writers was adjourned without notice today. It was the 21st time that the court adjourned the trial. The next hearing will be held on February 23, 2022. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) stands by the journalists who have to defend themselves against baseless charges for their professional activities. We demand Turkish authorities acquit Reyhan from all charges. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime.
Özgür Gündem’s former managing editor, Reyhan Çapan, its co-editor-in-chief, Hüseyin Aykol, Hasan Başak, and some of its reporters were sued for articles published in the paper. The Özgür Gündem reporters have been accused of insulting the president and spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization over the article entitled “The palace gone insane” in September 2015. If convicted, Reyhan will be sentenced up to ten years in prison over the terror charges. Özgür Gündem was shut down by the Turkish government in August 2016.
Today, the 21st hearing of the trial was not seen due to the pleading of Reyhan Çapan and her lawyer Özcan Kılıç to the court. Supposedly the hearing was expected to be held in İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court, however, it was adjourned again to February 23, 2022.
Previously, the court adjourned the case until today, ruling that the missing elements should be eliminated.
The CFWIJ documented at least 91 separate case files against women journalists since the beginning of this year. The lawsuits were filed about the journalists’ coverage, the press statements they covered, and the posts they shared on social media. As the coalition, we keep a close eye on the developments regarding the journalists who are being prosecuted on baseless charges.
We demand the tactics of intimidation implemented through the judiciary in Turkey be ended. In democratic societies, press freedom and freedom of expression must be taken as fundamental rights of journalists. Journalists should not be prosecuted solely for doing their job.
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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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