The second hearing of the case filed against Olcay Büyüktaş Akça, the senior editor of Cumhuriyet Newspaper, and former reporter Alican Uludağ, was held yesterday in İstanbul. The journalists face terrorism charges for the news aired about the Ankara massacre of October 10, 2015. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) appreciates the journalists’ dedicated work commitment to keeping the public informed. Reporting the truth is not a crime but a fundamental duty of journalists. We demand Olcay and Alican’s immediate acquittal.

Cumhuriyet Gazetesi sorumlu yazı işleri müdürü Olcay Büyüktaş Akça ve eski muhabiri Alican Uludağ hakkında açılan davanın ikinci duruşması dün görüldü. Gazeteciler, 10 Ekim’de 2015’te Ankara’daki tren garında düzenlenen bombalı saldırıya yönelik “Gar katliamında gizlenen dosya” başlıklı haber nedeniyle terör suçlamalarıyla yargılanıyor. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu olarak gazeteci Büyüktaş ve Uludağ’ı kamuoyunu bilgilendirmek amacıyla yazdıkları haberden ötürü tebrik ediyor, mahkemeden gazetecilerin derhal beraat edilmelerini talep ediyoruz. Gerçekleri ortaya çıkarmak suç değil, gazetecilerin asli görevidir.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is utterly dismayed by the online bullying of journalist Sophie Mokoena by the ruling party spokesperson. Sophie Mokoena, the foreign editor for SABC, was viciously attacked online by ruling party spokesperson, Tafadzwa Mugwadi. The government spokesperson threatened to release a “bombshell” if SABC does not stop the journalist. Given the gravity and recurrence of vicious online abuse targeting female reporters, CFWIJ calls upon the Zimbabwean Government to take action against the spokesperson.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) pays tribute to The Observer’s first woman columnist, Katharine Whitehorn, who died aged 92. Katharine revolutionised the path of women in journalism. Our deepest sympathy to her family, friends and all the women journalists who were inspired by her dedication.

The New York Times reporter Sarah Jeong tweeted her concerns on Saturday, sharing the thread of another journalist. She reiterated that fellow journalist Andy Ngo’s disinformation poses a threat among already precarious conditions. Sarah stated that she refrained from raising the issue earlier because of rape and death threats she had received in the past. Several other women also come forward, sharing similar unpleasant experiences fuelled by pro-Trump rhetoric. CFWIJ is appalled by the shameless targeting of women journalists. We offer our support and solidarity to all women journalists enduring such hostility.

The former journalists face a civil fine for a 2018 article written anonymously by He and published by Zou. In the piece, He alleged prominent journalist Deng Fei of sexual misconduct. The journalist reported she was a 21-year-old intern while Deng was a chief reporter at the time of the incident. The court has ordered He and Zou to pay reparations to Deng for defamation, amounting to 11,712 yuan. Both journalists have decided to appeal the verdict. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this violation of press freedom.

Veteran journalist and the editor-in-chief of the news outlet Daraj, Diana Moukalled, will appear in court on January 14 for her alleged defamation of a person named ‘Rahhal’. The journalist was given no further information about her libel case. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) demands authorities to clarify the details of the lawsuit filed against Diana and reject the proposed charges. We urge Lebanese authorities to end their intimidation of journalists and to respect press freedom.

Several women journalists face sexual harassment by protestors while covering the farmers’ demonstrations across India. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns these malicious attacks against journalists and demands Indian authorities to safeguard the media. We are deeply concerned about gender-based violations across the country.

Photojournalist Erin Schaff for The New York Times was assaulted by Trump supporters during the insurrection at Capitol Hill. Schaff was capturing images during the US riots when security was breached at the building. She was surrounded by a group of men who pushed her to the floor and snatched her press credentials. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is utterly dismayed by the brutal attack against Erin. We stand in solidarity with the journalist and appreciate her fearless and continuous work despite the attacks she faced.

Layal Alikhtiar became the target of a hate campaign that was initiated against her by a separatist organisation. She was targeted with death threats over a tweet that she posted on January 5. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) follows the deliberate smear campaign against Layal with great concern. We demand authorities to take immediate action to stop online abuse towards the journalist.

Deutsche Welle (DW) muhabiri Pelin Ünker ve DW genel müdürü Peter Limbourg hakkında Aktif Bank’ın şikayeti üzerine, 21 Eylül 2020 tarihinde yayınlanan “ABD Bankalarından Suçlama” başlıklı haber nedeniyle soruşturma başlatıldı. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu olarak Ünker hakkında açılan soruşturmayı kınıyoruz. Gerçekleri ortaya çıkaran hiçbir gazeteci, haberciliği nedeniyle sorgulanamaz ve yargılanamaz.

An investigation was launched against Deutsche Welle (DW) reporter Pelin Ünker and DW manager Peter Limbourg over coverage aired in September 2020 on DW’s website. The investigation was launched after a complaint was made by Aktif Bank. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the attempt to intimidate the journalists and demands Aktif Bank to withdraw its complaint. No journalist should be questioned or prosecuted for their content they dutifully report.

Gazeteci Ayten Akgün, hakkında açılan “Cumhurbaşkanına hakaret” davası sonucu 11 ay 20 gün hapis cezasına çarptırıldı. Hükmün açıklanması ise geride bırakıldı. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu olarak gazeteci hakkında verilen mahkeme kararını kınıyor, Akgün’ün derhal beraat etmesini talep ediyoruz. Yargı yolu kullanılarak gazetecilerin susturulmaya çalışılması kabul edilemez.

Journalist Ayten Akgün was sentenced to 11 months in prison on charges of insulting the President. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the court verdict against the journalist and demands her immediate acquittal. It is unacceptable to weaponize the judicial system to intimidate and silence journalists.

The separatist attack on a convoy in Njikwa, the North-West region of Cameroon, resulted in the unfortunate killing of Rebecca Jeme and four military officials. Rebecca, popularly known as Becky Jeme, was the top Divisional Delegate for Communication for Momo. The attack also claimed the lives of four military officials. The news came as a shock to her friends and fellow journalists who described her as a person full of life.