Turkey: Prosecution Moves The Court Conviction On Bogus Terror Charges Against Pınar Gayıp and Semiha Şahin
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: March 24, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 17th hearing of the case against Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and reporter Pınar Gayip was held on March 24 in İstanbul. The journalists have tried charges of "being affiliated with a terrorist organization" and "spreading propaganda" over their journalistic coverage. The prosecutor submitted his opinion to the court and requested the journalists to be convicted on bogus terror charges. The court gave time to the defendants to defend against the prosecutor’s opinion and adjourned the next hearing to May 26.
Journalists Semiha Şahin and Pınar Gayıp are being prosecuted on the charges of "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and "making a chain of propaganda for a terrorist organization". The 17th hearing of the case was held today at İstanbul’s 23rd High Criminal Court.
The prosecution submitted his opinion before the court and requested the journalists’ conviction on charges of being affiliated with a terrorist organization and spreading terror propaganda. The prosecution claimed that the news outlet ETHA where the journalists work is linked to a terrorist group Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP). The posts of journalists shared on their social media accounts were claimed as "making propaganda in a chain".
The accusations were against the journalists formed as a result of social media activity and the fact that they participated in a protest to cover it. Semiha and Pınar are facing up to 23 years in prison.
The journalists were initially arrested on April 19, 2018. They were released but remained under house arrest which was then lifted on December 11, 2019. The house arrest measure against Semiha and Pınar was lifted on December 11, 2019. However, the travel ban imposed on them continues.
The CFWIJ condemns the judiciary mechanism that has been adjourning the cases for various excuses. These practices were carried out to intimidate the journalists. We demand the Turkish authorities to immediately acquit journalists Pınar Gayip and Semiha Şahin. 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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