Turkey: Journalist Selda Manduz handed suspended prison term after prosecutor's appeal overturns acquittal
Location: Turkey, Kars
Date: February 8, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The acquittal of journalist Selda Manduz was overturned following the prosecutor's appeal to the decision. The journalist was sentenced to eighteen months in prison on a charge of ‘spreading propaganda’ in the case that was relaunched over her social media reports. The court ruled to defer the announcement of the verdict. The confiscated materials of the journalist will be returned. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns Selda's suspended prison charge. We demand Turkish authorities to end the policies of intimidating journalists.
The verdict of the Kars 2nd High Criminal Court, which resulted in the acquittal of journalist Selda Manduz was overturned by the Court of Appeal after the prosecutor objected. In the case that was reopened against the journalist, the court sentenced the journalist to one year and six months in prison on charges of ‘spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization’.
In today’s court, Selda denied the accusations against her and she did not accept the defer of the announcement of the verdict. However, the court decided to defer the announcement of the verdict and to return the confiscated materials of the journalist.
Journalist Selda Manduz was detained in a police raid on her home on October 1, 2020, and was transferred to the prosecutor's office on October 4, 2020. Following four days of detention, the court decided to release the journalist conditionally.
In the indictment, which was completed after the investigation, secret defendant statements and records of the journalist’s phone calls were indicated as evidence. Also, Selda’s phone calls with her colleagues were cited as a crime in the indictment. It was claimed that Manduz "committed a crime regarding the organic structure of the armed terrorist organization".
The journalist faced up to 15 years sentence in prison over the charges of being a member of an armed terrorist organization. However, the court decided to acquit her of all the charges brought against her on April 8, 2021.
The CFWIJ condemns the legal policies implemented to intimidate journalists. We demand the immediate annulment of the prison sentence given to journalist Selda Manduz. 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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