Turkiye: Zeynep Durgut on Trial for Reporting Protest Against Gender-Based Violence
Mezopotamya News Agency reporter charged with violating protest law
Location: Turkiye, Şırnak
Date: March 22, 2024
Women Press Freedom 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. She is now facing charges for supposedly breaching protest laws. Rather than addressing reports of police brutality against Durgut and activists, it is concerning that those who were aggressively apprehended are now being prosecuted. We urge authorities to dismiss the charges against Durgut and her fellow women and to investigate the claims of police misconduct thoroughly.
Read latest reports from the globe
On March 22, 2024, at the Şırnak Criminal Court of First Instance, the first hearing of the case against Mezopotamya News Agency journalist Zeynep Durgut was held.
Durgut was detained while covering a scheduled press conference in Şırnak on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in November 2023. Police detained 21 people, including Durgut and three other journalists, when they violently dispersed the gathering, claiming the meeting was illegal due to a ban issued by the governor’s office. The police broke the journalists’ cameras and other equipment.
The detainees were released after their statements were taken. While the charges against some were dropped, Durgut and 17 others were indicted for "participating in an unlawful assembly and demonstration without dispersing despite warnings."
Those indicted argue that they were simply exercising their right to peaceful protest, especially on a day dedicated to raising awareness of violence against women.
"On November 25, women take to the streets not only in Turkey but all over the world. But for some reason, on such a day, women were subjected to violence by male police officers," Durgut told the court in her defense.
The journalist described the police brutality she witnessed at the scene. "They tried to confiscate my cameras,” recounts Durgut. “Two male police officers handcuffed me behind my back. They broke my camera and tripod."
"They broke a woman's arm and a woman's wrist," says the journalist.
Durgut’s trial has been postponed until 27 June 2024.
Durgut has faced repeated harassment from authorities for her reporting for the Kurdish news site Mezopotamya News Agency (MA). Durgut was arrested after a police raid on her home in Şırnak, on February 14, 2022. She was held in the Cizre Counterterrorism Department, and Durgut's journalism activities were questioned based on “anonymous witness” statements. She was released after four days in detention. In 2021, she faced charges of “being a member of a terrorist organization" after a police raid on an MA office.
The Turkish authorities frequently target Kurdish media entities, often resorting to baseless accusations and employing counter-terrorism legislation to suppress Kurdish voices. Many reputable outlets have been forced to shutter, and their journalists are frequently subjected to spurious charges merely for reporting on Kurdish issues or sharing news in the Kurdish language. Under the pretext of combating terrorism, the state consistently alleges connections between these media organizations and the PKK, a designated terrorist group. Such accusations perpetuate a climate of fear and censorship, depriving Kurdish communities of their right to access reliable information and express their perspectives.
Women Press Freedom demands a thorough investigation into the treatment of Zeynep Durgut and her colleagues, the immediate dropping of charges against them, and accountability for any acts of violence or misconduct committed by the authorities. We urge authorities to stop the harassment of critical news outlets and journalists; the persistent legal harassment of the Kurdish press, in particular, must stop.
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.
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.
WPF vehemently condemns the recent judgment against journalist Nagihan Yılkın, who was fined for "insulting a public official" following her investigative work into corruption involving the former Governor of Gaziantep, Turkiye.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.