Turkey: Journalist Beritan Canözer Stands Trial For Five Years Prison Sentence Over A Bogus Terror-Related Charge
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: March 31, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The first hearing of the case against journalist Beritan Canözer was held in Diyarbakır today. The journalist was sued on charges of "spreading propaganda " over a social media account that allegedly belonged to her. Deciding to request another case file and a copy of a file before the Court of Cassation, the court adjourned the next hearing on June 21. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the trials that violate press freedom, alleging social media posts are criminal. We demand Beritan’s immediate acquittal.
The first hearing of the case brought against journalist Beritan Canözer on the charge of "making propaganda for an organization through the media" was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Journalist Beritan Canözer and her lawyer Resul Temur attended the hearing.
The journalist defended herself at the first hearing. She said that the alleged social media account called "Beritan Salya" did not belong to her and she rejected the accusations against her. According to Jinnews, the journalist emphasized that she had previously undergone an investigation over the same alleged social media account and non-prosecution was given. She stated that when the social media account is examined, it will become clear that the account is not used in Turkey. The journalist demanded her acquittal from the court board.
Following her defense, lawyer Resul Temur stated that his client is a journalist and she has been legally harassed since she started her career. Resul repeated the non-prosecution of the investigation against Beritan. He said another case file is in progress in the same court and it is still in the Court of Cassation stage.
Temur said that his client has been constantly harassed through the judiciary since she started his profession. Temur said that a decision of non-prosecution was given for the journalist about the social media account that is the subject of the case file, and noted that the trial of the journalist in the court in question is still at the Court of Cassation stage.
The court decided to add the files in which the journalist was tried and had punishment due to the social media posts earlier she shared. Also, the court asked for a copy of another case file where the case is in the Court of Cassation stage. The next hearing will be held on June 21.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the lawsuits and the judicial mechanism to intimidate journalists with baseless allegations. The accusations are part of policies silencing critical voices. We demand Turkish authorities acquit Beritan Canözer immediately.
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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