Turkey: Journalist Nurcan Yalçın Handed Over Three Years In Prison In Bogus Terror-related Case
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: November 22, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The court sentenced journalist Nurcan Yalçın to over three years imprisonment on Monday in a fabricated terror-related case against her. The Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court convicted the journalist for affiliation with the “illegal” Rosa Women’s Association, a Diyarbakır-based civil society organization, and on charges of spreading “terror propaganda”.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces this decision by the Diyarbakır court and calls for its immediate annulment. Legal harassment of journalists has been on the rise in Turkey, with the country’s anti-terror laws frequently weaponized to gag members of the press. The CFWIJ reminds the Turkish authorities, including the judiciary, that journalism is not a crime and cannot be treated as such. Nurcan’s conviction is yet another attack on press freedom and the citizens’ right to information. Legal harassment of journalists must end.
Announcing its decision at the sixth hearing of Nurcan’s trial, the 9th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır sentenced her to two years and one month in prison for “knowingly and willingly helping a terrorist organization without being a member”. Moreover, the court meted out a jail term of one year, six months and 22 days to the journalist on account of “spreading terror propaganda”.
The journalist was not present in the courtroom to hear her conviction but was represented by her counsel Resul Tamur.
At past hearings, the prosecution had argued that the reporting by Nurcan’s employer news outlet Jin News was linked to and supported by banned terrorist groups, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), citing a report prepared by the Counter-terrorism Branch (TEM). The prosecutor had sought a prison sentence of eight to 20 years for the journalist.
According to Jin News, on Monday the prosecution made the same argument. Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Resul Temur, contended that they did not accept the prosecution’s claims and maintained innocence. In written statements submitted before the court, Temur argued that no investigation was conducted for the charges against the journalist.
Temur argued that Nurcan’s membership in the Rosa Women's Association was legal and her legal right was being portrayed as a crime. Referring to the prosecution’s secret witness statement, Temur said "It is malicious intent to take the picture of my client and show it to the secret witness. Confidential witness statements alone should not be taken as the basis of the verdict”.
The defence submitted that Nurcan is registered with the National Insurance and is employed as a journalist for a production company. Temur sought Nurcan’s immediate acquittal.
The court took a short break after the completion of arguments and then announced its decision. Convicting her for her affiliation with the Rosa Women’s Association, the court awarded Nurcan two years and one month in prison. Moreover, the journalist was convicted for “spreading terror propaganda” and handed one year, six months and 22 days in prison. The court reserved its verdict on the third terror-related charge against the journalist and imposed judicial control measures on her in the interim.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently denounces the Diyarbakır court’s decision. This verdict in Nurcan Yalçın’s case is yet another attack by the Turkish authorities and judiciary on the freedom of the press. The country has a history of legal harassment of journalists and the pattern appears to have deepened in recent years. The CFWIJ calls on the Turkish courts to immediately annul the verdict against Nurcan and drop all fabricated charges against her. Journalists must be free to report without fearing backlash from state institutions. We reiterate, journalism is not a crime.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
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