Turkey: Sadiye Eser, Colleague Sentenced To Over Six Years In Prison Each
Location: Turkey, İstanbul
Date: September 9, 2022
Journalist Sadiye Eser and her colleague Sadık Topaloğlu were sentenced to six years and three months in prison on allegations of being “members of an illegal organization” based on the statements of an absent witness. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the legal harassment of journalists. Anti-terror laws must not be weaponized to silence critical voices. We call for the immediate annulment of this verdict and demand Sadiye and her colleague’s release.
The ninth hearing of former Mezopotamya Agency (MA) journalist Sadiye and her colleague’s trial was held before a court in İstanbul September 8 Sadiye and Topaloğlu were represented by their attorneys Özcan Kılıç and Ayşe Acinikli. Banu Tuna, the İstanbul branch chair of Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), also attended the hearing.
According to Kılıç, the prosecution’s arguments were based on allegations reportedly made by a witness, who never appeared before the court during the trial. The defence pleaded not guilty and sought acquittals for both journalists. Kılıç also noted that a Kurdish song on Sadiye’s phone was cited as evidence in the case file. Sadiye was detained on November 29, 2019, after leaving MA’s office in İstanbul. She was formally charged with being a “member of an armed terrorist organization” and arrested on, December 2, 2019, based on the absent witness’ statements. On March 26, 2020, Sadiye was released with judicial conditions imposed on her. Sadiye has throughout denied the charges against her and maintains that she is only a journalist, not associated with any illegal organization.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the court’s decision to sentence Sadiye Eser and her colleague over fabricated terror-related charges. It is apparent that due process was not followed during Sadiye’s detention, arrest and trial. We call on the Turkish appeals’ courts and the law enforcement authorities to revisit the ruling and charges against the journalists. The CFWIJ calls for the immediate release and acquittal of both journalists and stands in support of the independent press in Turkey striving to hold power accountable despite prevalent state-linked legal harassment.
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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