Turkey: Trial Against Journalist Rojda Oğuz Postponed For The Fifth Time
Location: Turkey, Van
Date: January 6, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The fifth hearing of the case against journalist Rojda Oğuz was held in Van today. The journalist is facing charges of being affiliated with an armed terrorist organization and spreading propaganda due to her journalistic activities. Today, the court adjourned the case once again to give additional time for defendants to prepare their statements. The next hearing will be held on April 21, 2022. CFWIJ) considers that prolonged trials are used as a tactic to intimidate journalists. We condemn these policies and demand the immediate acquittal of Rojda. Journalism is not a crime.
The fifth hearing of the case against Rojda Oğuz's journalistic activities and social media posts was held at the Van 4th High Criminal Court today. Journalist and lawyer Hüseyin Boğatekin did not attend the hearing by making excuses.
The journalist was detained in a police raid in 2016 for participating in the protests of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University students at different times. She was arrested later and taken to the prison in Van. After four months, she was released. The journalist is now facing a prison sentence of up to seven years on charges of "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and "spreading terrorist propaganda". The protests and marches that the journalist followed, as well as her social media posts and secret witness testimonies, are considered criminal elements in the lawsuit. Allegedly, in the case file, the letter sent by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not contain any information or document on the journalist’s profession or whether she had a press card. Her institutional press card, where she worked earlier, was not accepted by the court.
Today, some of the defendants attended the hearing via sound and vision information technology systems (SEGBİS) from different cities and gave their defense. Following the defenses, the lawyers gave statements. The defendants’ lawyers requested that they be given additional time before the prosecutor's opinion. The court accepted the request and gave a one-month extension for the defendants who did not attend the hearing to complete their defense. The court decided to send the case file for the prosecution to prepare its opinion for the next hearing.
The CFWIJ closely follows and monitors the legal cases against women journalists in Turkey. Journalists, whose professional activities are cited as a criminal charge, are punished with unfair and baseless accusations. As the coalition, we demand the Turkish authorities respect the press freedom and acquit Rojda immediately. 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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