Turkey: Prosecutor Informs The Court Of Lack Of Evidence Against Eylem Sonbahar, Sema Karakurt. CFWIJ Calls For Journalists' Acquittal
Location: Turkey, Antalya
Date: January 11, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The 12th hearing of the case against journalists Eylem Sonbahar and Sema Karakurt, on charges of “obstructing public duty” and “insulting” public officials at anti-G20 protests in 2015, was held today at Antalya. The prosecutor moved the court to acquit all 15 defendants, including journalists Eylem and Sema for lack of evidence against them. The hearing was adjourned till February 15, 2022, when the defendants’ lawyers will submit their stance.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the prosecution's request for the acquittal of defendants in court. This request proves once again that journalism is not a crime. We demand the Turkish authorities to immediately acquit the journalists.
Eylem and Sema have been charged in connection with their coverage of the anti-G20 protests at the 2015 summit. The police arrested several peaceful protestors denouncing interventions in the Middle East by the United States and China’s treatment of Uyghurs, among other imperialist and pro-war policies. The journalists face trial along with 15 other defendants charged with obstruction of public duty and insulting officials.
At the last hearing on December 7, 2021, the court adjourned the case to a further date because the defendants did not attend the hearing. According to the Media and Legal Studies Association (MLSA), which is representing the journalists, the prosecution requested to separate the files of the two defendants, for whom arrest warrants were still not executed. The court agreed with the prosecutor’s demand to separate those files.
The prosecutor also concluded the arguments on the lawsuit and requested the acquittal of all the defendants. He stated that the demonstration subject to the crime was not against the law, and the law enforcement did not call to disperse. The elements of the crime imputed on the defendants did not occur.
The court adjourned the case to February 12, 2022, to restrict the right of the defendants who did not attend today’s hearing.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the request of the prosecution. This proves once again that journalism is not a crime. We demand the Turkish authorities to acquit the journalists Eylem and Sema 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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