Have You Heard Initiative: Freedom, Before It is Too Late

"While several serious criminals have been released based on the law on criminal enforcement, journalists are left behind bars"

Click to read the article in Turkish

Formed by a group of journalists to raise concerns and publicity about the imprisoned journalists in Turkey, "Haberin Var Mı" (Have You Heard) Initiative has released a new video and said, "Freedom, before it is too late."

CLICK - BİA Media Monitoring Reports

CLICK - The Ends Justify the Means in Purging Critical Media

'This law constitutes discrimination'

In its statement, the Initiative has emphasized the following points:

"In the days of life and death, the government has once again prepared a law that is far from the law and conscience.

"It has discriminated against ill prisoners and the ones in the risk group, political arrestees, journalists and lawyers. It has released the convicts by granting them an exclusive amnesty.

"Consolidating the enemy law rather than taking measures against Covid-19, these policies should be ended immediately.

"The number of positive cases in prisons is increasing, news of deaths are coming. Food and hygiene conditions are posing a big risk to all arrestees.

"We are once again repeating our request for release for the ones unjustly and unlawfully arrested and over 100 journalists before it is too late."

'We get more and more concerned as days pass' 

"Ventilation is inadequate, sunlight is limited"

"Have You Heard" Initiative also called on everyone to join the social media campaign under the hashtag #GeçOlmadanTahliye (Release before it is late) yesterday (April 23) at 6.05 p.m.

On the other side, speaking to bianet, the relatives of arrested journalists previously said that the law on criminal enforcement to be enacted should also cover journalists, adding that they were getting more and more concerned in the face of coronavirus risk behind bars. (EMK/SD)