Turkey: Police Officers Appeared In Court For Deliberately Attacking Journalist Beyza Kural
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: June 24, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The trial for three police officers who viciously and deliberately attacked reporter Beyza Kural Yılancı on charges of "violating freedom of work and profession" was held today. The court accepted the journalist's participation in the case. However, the request for additional defence from the police officers about assaulting and threatening Beyza was rejected by the court. The next hearing was adjourned to September 24, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) demands the Turkish judiciary imposing criminal sanctions for police officers who inflict violence on journalists.
The first hearing of three police officers who forcibly detained former Bianet reporter Beyza Kural by wearing reverse handcuffs during her news coverage in 2015, was held today at the Istanbul 35th Criminal Court of First Instance.
At the end of the hearing, the court ruled that the police officer N.D. who did not attend, be forcibly brought to the next hearing.
According to Bianet, the defendant Y.Ş., “I was the bottom of the line. The words I said were used because of the terrorist attacks we had been through that year. My intention was not to attack Beyza Kural. I certainly didn't drag her out," said in his defence.
POLICE: I DID NOT KNOW THAT SHE IS A JOURNALIST
Beyza Kural's lawyer Meriç Eyüboğlu reminded despite showing press credentials during the demonstration the defendant police claimed that he did not know Beyza was a journalist. Showing the videos about the attack, the police officer defended himself saying "There is no press ID shown to me".
The President of the Court intervened in Beyza’s presentation of violations against press freedom in Turkey by saying, "Let's stick to the indictment,". According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), with Beyza's lawyer's objection, the journalist underlined the challenges of the violations caused to journalists on a daily basis.
In the defence, lawyer Eyüboğlu stated that “There is an inelaborate indictment we come across about this trial. The police officer is essentially putting himself as power and preventing the journalist in the scene while doing her job.” “There is a report of the assault as well. How can someone defying herself as a journalist can be treated this way? Additional testimonies should be taken from the police officers about the threats and assaults they did," she included.
In response to the lawyer request, the court rejected the additional testimonies, stating that the indictment did not frame this matter and postponed the next hearing to September 24, 2021.
Bianet reporter Beyza Kural, who followed the demonstration of students in Istanbul University on November 5, 2015, was subjected to police violence during the protest. Despite showing her press card, the police threatened Beyza. He said, "Nothing is the same as before; we will teach you this". Beyza, who was detained with reverse handcuffs, was dragged out from the scene and was released due to the lack of space in the custody vehicle.
Six years later, The Constitutional Court (AYM) ruled that the police committed a crime over the extreme violence they used against the journalist on February 18. The court also emphasized that Beyza was exposed to the mistreatment of the police and stated her freedom of expression was also violated. The high court decided 15 thousand TL in compensation to pay Beyza for the violation she faced.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the criminal sanction must be imposed on police officers who viciously attacked journalist Beyza Kural. We find the Constitutional Court decision regarding Beyza as a precedent, and we hope the trial would be managed under the decision. Journalists must do their jobs safely and freely without any attacks or police violence.
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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