Turkey: Reyhan Çapan Subjected To Legal Harassment; Turkey Needs To Stop Persecuting Journalists
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: February 20, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Trials of former Özgür Gündem editor Reyhan Çapan and her colleagues were held today. They have been accused of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”, “praising crime” and “incitement to commit crime” for a series of articles published. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that the charges on Reyhan and all other journalists should be dropped immediately.
Özgür Gündem’s editor-in-chief Reyhan Çapan, its co-editor-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol, Hasan Başak and some of its writers have been sued for news and articles published in the paper. Özgür Gündem was shut down by the Turkish government in August 2016.
When speaking on behalf of his clients, lawyer Özcan Kılıç said that these lawsuits filed under the Anti-Terrorism Law are an excuse to oppress press freedom. He further stated that there is no connection between the crime and the person.
“The responsibility of the articles which were written by third parties is directly encumbered to my clients. This is against the principle of individual criminal responsibility.” Kılıç said. He noted that the case was opened in violation of the freedom of expression and press, and that there were no criminal elements.
The court has given time for defendants to testify and has adjourned the case to May 14, 2020.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges Turkish authorities to stop abusing its justice system to oppress journalists. The state of press freedom in Turkey is already at stake. Therefore, we demand a safer and unrestrained environment for our colleagues.
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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.
