Turkey: Trials Against Women Journalists Continue To Be Adjourned – Cumhuriyet’s Journalists Must Be Acquitted Of All Charges Immediately
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: June 24, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The trial of Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Hazal Ocak, managing editor Olcay Büyüktaş Akça, editor-in-chief İpek Özbey and photo-journalist Vedat Arık was held for the third time in İstanbul. The court adjourned the hearing to December 1, 2021, once again. Journalists face 14 years of prison sentence if they are convicted. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) finds filing unjust trials against journalists is a vicious attack on press freedom. We call the Turkish state to end the intimidation of journalists by legally harassing them. We reiterate once again that journalism is not a crime.
The third hearing against Cumhuriyet reporter Hazal Ocak, editor Olcay Büyüktaş, editor-in-chief İpek Özbey and photojournalist Vedat Arık, was held in Istanbul’s 26th High Criminal Court. The journalists are facing charges for a piece the newspaper published on April 14, 2020. The story was about the land beside the home of Presidency Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, in İstanbul. The indictment was filed after Fahrettin Altun's criminal complaint stated, "it was obligatory to restrict freedom of expression to protect the public and the state". After the story was circulated, Altun filed a complaint with the authorities, which launched the lawsuit.
In the hearing, the prosecution presented its opinion to court against the journalists be sentenced to up to fourteen years in prison on charges of targeting persons who have taken part in the fight against terrorism, violating the privacy of secret life, violating privacy by recording images, and unlawfully disclosing images of persons' private life. The court gave an extension to journalists and their lawyers to complete defences regarding the prosecution's opinion and adjourned the next hearing to December 1, 2021.
Reporter Hazal Ocak took to her Twitter account to highlight the hearing. She said, “The trial prosecutor asked for up to 14 years in prison. Journalism on trial.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds the trials against journalists as a vicious attack on journalism. We have followed 60 cases since the beginning of 2021 with great concern. Journalists are obliged to share publicly relevant information as a requirement of their profession and cannot be prosecuted. We demand the Turkish state to respect the criteria of press freedom and provide a free environment to journalists where the freedom of expression is respected. We reiterate once again, journalism is not a crime.
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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