Turkey: Police Raid The Mesopotamia Agency Office In Van For A Second Time
Location: Turkey, Van
Date: November 27, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
After arresting Mesopotamia Agency correspondent Dindar Karataş, the police raided the agency's Van office for a second time. During the search, seven female journalists were also at the scene. The police seized three computers and a few hard drives in the office. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this unwarranted intrusion on the journalists and demands the office’s equipment be returned immediately.
On November 24, after Dindar Karataş was taken into custody, the Van Office of the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) was raided by the police. Upon the request of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Van 1st Criminal Court of Peace ordered a search of the journalist’s home and the MA’s Van office. Jinnews correspondents Dilan Babat, Hikmet Tunç, Esra Önver, Rabia Önver, Aynur Aslan and MA reporters Özlem Yayan and Melek Şahin were present at the time of the search. After the search, the police seized many hard drives, laptops and computers belonging to MA. Journalist Dindar Karataş was arrested after the detention.
The police forces previously raided MA’s Van office when they aired a story about Kurdish villagers named Servet Turgut and Osman Siban, who was tortured and thrown from a national army helicopter. Following the raid, Jinnews reporter Sehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala were arrested and detained for four days. The journalists were tortured while held in the male ward of the prison, under deplorable conditions.
Also, on November 20, Jinnews Kurdish editor and Kurdish Pen member, Roza Metina, was detained and her house raided as part of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) investigation. She has been released conditionally, pending a possible trial.
Within the last month, the Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented three separate cases of legal harassment organized by the Turkish State. We are deeply concerned about journalists’ safety in Turkey. We urge Turkish authorities to end their repressive tactics against the journalists. Informing the public is the primary duty of journalists and they should not be prosecuted for solely doing their job.
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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.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
