Freelance photojournalist Rahil Mousavi was arrested over unspecified charges and has remained in state custody since.

Kapatılan Taraf gazetesinin eski yöneticisi Yasemin Çongar'ın yargılandığı dava 37’nci kez ertelendi. Mahkeme, 14. Ağır Ceza Mahkemesi tarafından incelenen reddi hâkim talebinin kesinleşmesini beklemeye karar verdi. Bir sonraki duruşmayı 21 Ocak 2022’ye erteledi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak altı yıldır karara ulaşmayan hukuki sürecin adil bir yargılama ile sonuçlanmasını diliyoruz. Türk yetkililerden gazeteciliğin suç olmadığını tekrar hatırlatıyor, yargılanan gazetecilerin beraatını talep ediyoruz.

The hearing of the fabricated terror-related case against former Taraf executive Yasemin Çongar and other journalists of the shuttered newspaper was adjourned for the 37th time on Friday. The court decided to wait for the decision on defendant Mehmet Baransu’s request, pending before another court, to change the committee of judges hearing the case. The next hearing is now slated for January 21, 2022. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the prolonged trial the journalists have been subjected to for six years. We urge the Turkish authorities and judiciary to ensure a fair trial and drop all bogus charges filed against the journalists based on their critical reporting. We remind the Turkish authorities once again that journalism is not a crime and call for the acquittal of Yasemin and other journalists of the liberal news outlet.

State authorities continue to persecute women journalists in the country in an attempt to silence the valid human rights concerns they raise. On September 26, Narges Mohammadi confirmed that the courts have sentenced her to prison due to the nature of her work. Less than a month later on October 20, Mehrnoush Tafian's prison sentence was also announced by judicial authorities. The country has a long and worrying history of targeting and silencing women journalists by subjecting them to long prison sentences and the latest example of sentencing two journalists for merely doing their job adds to this concerning trend.

Gazeteci Kibriye Evren’in, gazetecilik faaliyetleri ve sosyal medya paylaşımları sebebiyle “örgüt üyeliği” ve “örgüt propagandası”ndan yargılandığı davanın 14’üncü duruşması bugün görüldü. Mahkeme duruşmayı yine erteledi. Bir sonraki duruşma 22 Şubat 2022 tarihinde görülecek. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak Türk yetkililere gazetecilik faaliyetlerinin suç unsuru olmadığını yeniden hatırlatıyor, gazeteci Kibriye Evren hakkındaki adli kontrol tedbirlerinin derhal kaldırılmasını ve gazetecinin beraat edilmesini talep ediyoruz.

The 14th hearing of the trial against journalist Kibriye Evren over her journalistic activities was held today in Diyarbakır. The journalist was sued over allegations of being a member of a terrorist organization and spreading its propaganda. The court rejected the lifting travel ban of Kibriye and adjourned the hearing again. The next hearing will be on February 22, 2022. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) considers these lawsuits are attacks on press freedom. We demand the immediate lifting of judicial control measures against journalist Kibriye Evren and the acquittal of the journalist.

Kapatılan Dicle Haber Ajansı (DİHA) muhabiri Şerife Oruç hakkında ‘örgüt üyeliği’ suçlamasıyla açılan dava 18’nci kez ertelendi. Mahkeme, gizli tanığın SEGBİS ile dinlenmesi için tekrar yazı yazılmasına karar vererek, bir sonraki duruşmayı 17 Şubat 2022'ye erteledi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak gazetecileri sindirmek amacıyla sürekli ertelenen davaları kınıyoruz. Gazeteci Şerife Oruç’a dair derhal beraat kararı verilmesini talep ediyoruz.

The trial against the former Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Şerife Oruç was once again adjourned by the judge. The court has been ruling for the same reason as the previous hearings. Şerife has been battling for justice for more than five years and there is no verdict yet from Batman’s court. The next hearing will be held on February 17, 2022. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) denounces the legal harassment that has been ongoing against journalists. We demand an immediate acquittal of Şerife Oruç.

In a condemnable move, Finnish authorities have filed criminal charges against Laura Halminen and two other journalists associated with daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat over an investigative piece published in 2017. Authorities have accused the journalists of leaking state secrets, however no date for the trial has yet been set. All three journalists have denied the charges against them. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on the Finnish authorities to drop all criminal charges lodged against the journalists. Proceeding against journalists covering critical issues in this manner is a blatant attempt to curb the freedom of the press. The country must ensure a safe and conducive environment for members of the press to report on sensitive issues - this includes eliminating the fear of government retaliation.

Dutch journalist Ingeborg Beugel faced a vicious online harassment campaign after a heated exchange between herself and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was televised. Ingeborg had pointedly questioned Mitsotakis regarding the Greek denial of their illegal treatment of refugees, in response to which the Prime Minister responded visibly angrily. Upon the exchange becoming public Ingeborg was accused of being an anti-state propagandist, and her professional credibility was put to task by state supporters online.

The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) has criticized the action of the Tripura Police and demanded that the UAPA charges against Shyam Meera Singh be dropped. Singh was booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after he tweeted about the violence underway in the state of Tripura at the behest of right-wing Hindu extremists.

Kyiv Post, Ukraine's largest independent English-language newspaper, abruptly suspended operations on Monday after its owner Adnan Kivan dismissed all staffers in the newsroom. The sudden dismissal came amid an ongoing disagreement between its real-estate tycoon Kivan and the publication's editorial team. More than 50 journalists, including 29 women, employed by the 26-year-old newspaper were fired without notice. In a statement signed by "The Kyiv Post Newsroom" the journalists dubbed the move an "act of vengeance" by Kivan as the newsroom had refused to budge on editorial independence at the publication. They accused Kivan of trying to get rid of "inconvenient" journalists. The Coalition For Women In Journalists is alarmed at this blatant attack on press freedom. We urge the owner to accept the appeal of the editorial team and allow them to operate independently. No country can thrive without a free and independent press. Robust journalism like the kind practiced by Kyiv Post for 26 years must be protected.

Rasha Abdullah al-Harazi and her unborn child were killed in a horrific car bombing in Aden this afternoon. Her husband, Mahmoud al-Atmi, who was driving her to the hospital when they were targeted, was critically injured. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is horrified at the targeted attack on Rasha and her husband, also a journalist. We denounce the killing and demand an immediate inquiry

Gazeteci Ayşe Kara hakkında “örgüt üyeliği” suçlamasıyla açılan davada beraat kararı verildi. Mahkeme, iddia edilen suçun sanık tarafından işlendiğinin sabit olmadığına hükmetti. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ) olarak mahkeme kararını memnuniyetle karşılıyoruz. Beraat kararının yargılanan diğer gazeteciler için de emsal teşkil etmesini talep ediyoruz. Gazetecilik suç değildir.

Journalist Ayşe Kara was acquitted on charges of "being a member of a terrorist organization". The court ruled the allegations were unclear that the crime was committed by the defendant. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the court's verdict. We demand this decision also set a precedent for other journalists on trial. Journalism is not a crime.