Turkiye: Rojin Akın Acquitted in “Membership of a Terrorist Organization” Case
Women Press Freedom welcomes conclusion of 7-year-long trial
Location: Turkiye, Istanbul
Date: April 3, 2024
Rojin Akın has been finally vindicated of “membership of a terrorist organization” charges. Alongside fellow journalist Emrah Erdoğan, Akın faced accusations of affiliation with a terrorist group due to their coverage of the Syrian conflict in 2015. While the trial against Erdoğan continues, the acquittal of Rojin Akın is a positive step, recognizing the injustice of associating her reporting with terrorism. We call for Erdoğan's exoneration and urge Turkish authorities to cease prosecuting journalists under terror-related charges for their reporting.
WPF strongly condemns the unjust charges against Derya Us and Nurcan Yalçın who were arrested by police for allegedly belonging to a terrorist organization.
Delve into detailed records that illuminate the alarming number of arrests, detentions, and imprisonment; the harsh conditions they endure, and the courageous stories behind each statistic.
After a seven-year legal battle, Rojin Akın was acquitted of terrorism charges on April 3, 2024 for her reporting on the frontlines in Syria.
In 2015, journalists Rojin Akın and Emrah Erdoğan ventured into Rojava, Syria, to cover conflict in the region. Akın specifically focused on documenting the plight of Yazidi women kidnapped by ISIS, while Erdoğan was on assignment for ETHA news. Both journalists had accreditation and permission to report in the region.
Prosecutors claimed, based on their interviews, photos, and social media posts from the time, that their reporting activities in Rojava implicated them as members of a terrorist organization.
During the third hearing at the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on April 3, the prosecutor repeated the accusations against the journalists, pushing for their punishment.
Akın’s lawyer argued the trial had been unfairly long, spanning seven years. She presented evidence, including social media posts, news articles, and books, showing Akın was a journalist. She reiterated that Akın, like numerous other journalists at the time, had traveled to Rojava for professional purposes.
After deliberation, the court acquitted Rojin Akın due to a lack of substantial evidence against the journalist. Emrah Erdoğan's charges were separated and legal proceedings against him are ongoing.
The verdict represents a long-awaited resolution to Rojin Akın's legal struggle against baseless allegations. While Women Press Freedom celebrates her acquittal, we cannot overlook the concerning pattern of terror-related charges levied against journalists in Turkiye for their reporting. Authorities must end the unjust practice of criminalizing journalists' work by unjustly accusing them of terrorism, particularly in their coverage of Kurdish communities both within Syria and Turkiye. We urge the court to swiftly acquit Emrah Erdoğan and other journalists facing similar charges. Reporting on a conflict should not be labeled as terrorism.
WPF strongly condemns the unjust charges against Derya Us and Nurcan Yalçın who were arrested by police for allegedly belonging to a terrorist organization.
Yet again, authorities have thrown Elif Akkuş behind bars, this time awaiting trial under accusations of evidence tampering, allegedly tied to her expenditure during coverage of conflicts in Libya and Syria while working for state-run broadcaster TRT.
WPF expresses deep concern over the actions of Turkish authorities during the May Day march in Istanbul's Saraçhane district.
WPF vehemently condemns the repeated and unfounded accusations against journalist Zeynep Kuray by Turkish authorities.
WPF strongly condemns the police raid following Kurdish Journalists' Day targeting journalists from Kurdish news outlets across Turkiye.
WPF condemns the prosecutor's decision to pursue charges against journalist Asena Tunca for allegedly "opposing the law on meetings and demonstrations" following her violent detention by law enforcement while covering a protest against the government's handling of the February 2024 earthquakes.
WPF condemns the investigation into Duygu Kıt for her coverage of opposition to a quarry construction close to a fatal mine collapse in İliç, Erzincan.
WPF expresses profound dismay at the relentless pursuit of journalist Ayşe Kara by the Diyarbakır prosecutor, who has gone to unjustifiable lengths to harass her.
WPF celebrates the release of Dilan Oyunş after an unjust seven-year imprisonment on spurious terrorism charges.
WPF condemns the threats and violence Medine Mamedoğlu endured as a direct consequence of her exposing police brutality during protests in Van.
WPF stands unwaveringly with Perihan Kaya, an exiled journalist facing retrial in Turkiye on unfounded terrorism charges.
WPF views the lawsuit by Deputy Ali İhsan Arslan of the ruling AKP party against İleri Haber journalists İzel Sezer and Doğan Ergün as an attempt to stifle critical journalism, and we call for the case to be dismissed.
Rojin Akın has been finally vindicated of “membership of a terrorist organization” charges.
WPF firmly condemns the recent assaults, intimidation, and detentions of journalists in Turkiye, as they covered the protests against the electoral authorities' decision to block a pro-Kurdish mayor-elect in Van despite his election victory.
WPF persistently monitored the electoral process during the local elections and noted multiple instances of infringements. We condemn acts of violence and restrictions, including against Ece Üner, who was threatened with death.
Women Press Freedom is deeply troubled by Elif Akgül facing a potential 13.5 years behind bars over two tweets in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
Women Press Freedom welcomes the decision by the Istanbul prosecutor to drop the investigation against Artı TV journalist Şükran Ekinci.
WPF denounces the court’s decision to convict Pınar Gayıp and Mehmet Acettin, journalists with the Etkin News Agency (ETHA), of “denigrating Turkishness” for their coverage of a lawyer accused of sexual harassment.
WPF condemns the charges brought against Zeynep Durgut, who was unjustly and forcibly arrested while she was covering a women's rights activist's press statement in November 2023.
Ayça Söylemez faces prosecution and three years imprisonment for an article on a former judge and current deputy justice minister.
WPF welcomes the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling Turkiye violated the freedom, security, and freedom of expression rights of journalist Ayşenur Parıldak — exonerating the journalist and acknowledging the unjust sentence she endured.
WPF supports Yaşar's decision to file a complaint against police officers who subjected the journalist to physical assault, racist insults, and threats when they violently detained her.
WPF is appalled by the police violence and unjust detention of journalists covering the Kurdish New Year Celebrations (Nowruz) in Istanbul.
WPF welcomes the guilty verdict against the police officers for their violence against reporter Beyza Kural in Istanbul during her coverage of the YÖK protest in 2015.
In a groundbreaking decision, Turkiye's Constitutional Court ruled that a travel ban imposed on journalist and author Nurcan Kaya constitutes an infringement upon the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The exoneration of documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin from charges implicating her with a terrorist organization signifies the conclusion of a protracted legal ordeal that began with her detention in December 2022.
Dicle Müftüoğlu, editor at the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, has been held in pretrial detention for over 7 months on charges of membership and leadership in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group classified as a terrorist organization by the Turkish government.
Women Press Freedom welcomes court’s decision while urging an end to state’s abuse of anti-terror legislation to target journalist
WPF has been closely following the case against journalist Canan Coşkun in Turkiye and welcomes the recent court decision to drop all charges against her following a retrial.
WPF strongly condemns the ongoing legal proceedings against Gözde Bedeloğlu, a journalist for BirGün, who is currently facing charges of "insulting a public official" in Istanbul, Turkiye, filed by a Nationalist Movement Party politician.
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