Turkey: Ruken Demir Trial Adjourned, Requests On Lifting Of The Judicial Control Rejected
Location: Turkey, Izmir
Date: July 7, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The second hearing of the trial of Ruken Demir took place today. Mesopotamia Agency İzmir correspondent Ruken Demir was first detained on November 12, 2019, and then arrested on November 26 on the charges of “membership of a terrorist organization”.
Demir is facing prosecution over her reports, phone calls, and interviews with political prisoners and the prisons’ conditions. Interviews and reports were cited as “so-called” interviews in the indictment and as reporting false-news. The prosecutor’s office accused Demir of working for the media branch of outlawed PKK/KCK groups. (MA)
The first hearing took place on March 5 during which Demir was released from pretrial detention. The next hearing on April 28 was postponed to July 7th due to coronavirus precautions.
Ruken, during her first hearing, had given the following statement: “I am a graduate of the faculty of journalism, it is only natural for me to interview people who claim that their rights are being breached. I am being accused of membership of an armed organization. I am only armed with my microphone and my camera.”
As Ruken didn’t attend today’s hearing, her lawyer requested that the judicial control precautions such as travel ban should be lifted off. Requests of the lawyer were rejected, the next hearing is postponed to November 9, 2020.
Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the weaponization of journalism. Fair and objective reporting is essential in democracies. We call upon Turkish authorities to drop the charges against journalists.
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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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