Turkey: Trial Of Journalists Semiha Şahin And Pınar Gayıp Adjourned For The 14th Time – Journalists Must Be Acquitted Immediately
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: July 14, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The trial in which Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and reporter Pınar Gayip have tried charges of "being affiliated with a terrorist organisation" and "spreading propaganda" was postponed for the 14th time. The court adjourned the next hearing to November 9, 2021, ruling that the missing elements should be eliminated. The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the case against journalists, which was postponed on various excuses. Pınar and Semiha are journalists and journalism cannot be prosecuted. We demand their immediate acquittal.
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 13th hearing of the case was held today at İstanbul’s 23rd High Criminal Court. The court ruled incomplete elements of the case file be completed and adjourned the trial to November 9, 2021. Previously, the hearing was postponed for the same reason.
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.
Speaking to CFWIJ about the process, journalist Pınar Gayıp said that she and her colleague went through an unlawful process from house raids to their arrest. "We are journalists, we appear in court almost every day, if they were invited to testify, we would go and give them, but they intend to terrorize journalism with house raids," said Pınar to CFWIJ. Emphasizing that the proceedings against them have been going on for a long time, although they should not be arrested or even detained, Pınar added. “It has been 14 hearings since the process started. Now our hearings begin and end at the same time,” she said.
“We will not stop defending the rights of the people, reporting the truth, and being on the side of the opposition. Whatever it costs. We will not be The Palace’s (Erdoğan’s) journalists, we will not give allegiance!”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the journalists’ acquittal immediately. The ongoing trial is a clear attempt of Turkish authorities to silence journalists through the judiciary system. We consider that presenting their social media posts and journalistic activities as incriminating evidence is predominantly used to intimidate the journalists and discourage them from pursuing their work. We urge authorities to put an end to repressive practices against journalists.
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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