Turkey: No Relief For Journalist Nurcan Yalçın As Court Adjourns Second Hearing Of Bogus Terror Trial
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: June 5, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The second hearing of the case against journalist Nurcan Yalçın was held in Diyarbakır. The journalist was sued with an accusation of “aiding an organization knowingly and willingly” over her reports between 2015-2016. The prosecutor repeated his arguments at the hearing and sought conviction of Nurcan on terror-related charges. Giving the defendants additional time to complete their defense, the court adjourned the next hearing to September 22.
The second hearing of the case against journalist Nurcan Yalçın was held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court today. The lawyer of the journalist, Resul Temur presented the journalist at the hearing.
According to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the minutes of the first hearing was read due to the change of an interim panel of judges. The prosecutor repeated his arguments at the hearing and sought conviction of Nurcan on terror-related charges. The journalist's lawyer requested additional time for the defense. The court board accepted the lawyer Temur's request and adjourned the hearing to September 22.
In the previous hearing, on May 17, 2022, the prosecution submitted his final argument and sought conviction of the journalist "aiding the organization knowingly and willingly" charge. He accused the journalist of interviewing alleged members of the armed organization, filming the figures, and making speeches to support its members morally. He also claimed that the journalist took images that were inciting violence, armed struggle, or rebellion, alleging the journalist's link with the organization.
Counter-terrorism officials raided Nurcan’s house and arrested her without cause on February 4. Nurcan was released after four days of detention and a lawsuit was filed against her.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prosecution's submission for the conviction yet again, which cites journalistic activities as a criminal element. Journalists who report for the public interest in the pursuit of the truth should not be prosecuted. We demand the Turkish authorities acquit the journalist immediately. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime.
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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