Turkey: Sabiha Temizkan Sentenced To One Year Three Months Imprisonment Over Her Social Media Post Six Years Ago
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: October 22, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Verdict hearing on the case against journalist Sabiha Temizkan over charges of “spreading terror propaganda” was held today. Sabiha Temizkan was being tried over a tweet she shared six years ago celebrating liberation of Maxmur from ISIS forces.
During today’s hearing Sabiha Temizkan said that she shared a news piece but forgot to link it to her Tweet. She said she couldn’t be held guilty for this and asked for her acquittal. Following a short break, the court ruled for sentencing of the journalist to one year three months.
The lawsuit was opened against Sabiha Temizkan for a social media post she shared in 2014. She was accused of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation through the press”. In the said tweet she said: “Maxmur is liberated from ISIS, we are with HPG forces”. However during the first hearing of the case she said she didn’t even remember what she had written as it is an old tweet.
Sabiha Temizkan is not the only woman journalist in Turkey who is facing “terror propaganda” charges due to social media activity. The Coalition For Women In Journalism constantly monitors the deterioration of press freedom in the country. At least 25 women journalists have been attacked in various ways this year and “social media charges” are used to silence journalists. We demand that the sentence against Sabiha Temizkan be overturned, CFWIJ will be following the appeal process and keep standing with the journalist’s right to freedom of speech.
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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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