Turkey: Sonya Bayık’s Trial For Reporting On Police Brutality At 2019 Protests In Batman Province Continues
Location: Turkey, Batman
Date: February 10, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The fourth hearing of the case against Jiyan News chief editor, Sonya Bayık, was held on Thursday. The journalist is tried on charges of "participating in banned gatherings” for reporting a protest against the flooding of Hasankeyf, an ancient town on the banks of River Tigris. The court decided to wait for the Batman Police Department to examine the video footage taken from the protest. The hearing was adjourned till June 28, 2022. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns legal harassment of journalists. We call on the Turkish authorities to allow journalists to work freely in a safe and conducive environment.
The fourth hearing of the case against Sonya Bayık, the chief editor of Jiyan News, was held at the Batman 1st Criminal Court of First Instance on Thursday. Sonya and 30 other defendants face charges of participation in banned gatherings in connection with 2019 demonstrations against the flooding of Hasankeyf, an ancient town on the banks of River Tigris.
Sonya attended the protests in her capacity as a journalist and reported on police violence against demonstrators. The journalist, along with other defendants were briefly detained during the protest and released after a case was lodged against them. Sonya reported that the police resorted to using rubber bullets and tear gas on the protestors. She further said that she was detained despite showing her press card.
The ban imposed by the district authorities on protests, meetings, and public gatherings in Hasankeyf ahead of the planned flooding of the ancient settlement is included in the charge sheet against Sonya.
After the Van Gendarmerie Criminal Branch replied stating that it did not examine the video footage of the protest, the court decided on Thursday to write the same request to the Batman Police Department for footage of the demonstration in question.
During the hearing, lawyer İlyas Tarım represented the journalist. He stated that the footage of the police intervention should be examined in the courtroom if necessary. The court ruled the missing elements should be eliminated and the video footage should be sent to the Batman Police Department for examination.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the case against Sonya Bayık and calls for her immediate acquittal. We are deeply concerned over the systemic efforts by state institutions to embroil critical journalists in legal cases for their work. We call on the Turkish authorities to allow journalists to work freely and independently without fear of government retaliation.
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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