2 Journalists Detained, 1 Other Arrested

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Dicle News Agency (DİHA) correspondent, Bilal Güldem was arrested yesterday (april 24) over “[illegal organization] membership”.

Journalist Ümit Zileli was taken into custody in İzmir where he went to attend the book fair for calling the Diyarbakır Prison Warden “torturer”, then released.

Dutch Ebru Umar has been taken into custody over “insulting President” because of her column. She is expected to be brought to court.

DİHA correspondent arrested on charge of “[illegal] organization membership”

DİHA correspondent Bilal Güldem was detained in province of Batman on Saturday as he was tracking news and taken to Mardin province.

Güldem sent to Nusaybin Public Prosecution after his interrogation at Anti-Terror Branch (TEM), has been arrested by the court he was sent to over “[illegal] organization membership”.

Güldem was reportedly asked of questions regarding the news he made, furthermore an interrogation was conducted over the file set up by anonymous witness testimony.

Nine DİHA correspondents imprisoned

In total nine DİHA correspondents have been arrested in 2016:

Nedim Oruç, January 6, 2016 / Nuri Akman, February 2, 2016 / Nazım Daştan, February 11, 2016 / Feyyaz İmrak, February 15, 2016 / Mazlum Dolan, February 23, 2016 / Ziya Ataman, April 11, 2016 / Meltem Oktay, April 12, 2016 / Muhammed Doğru, April 20, 2016 / Bilal Güldem, April 24, 2016.

Ümit Zileli called the Prison Warden “torturer”

Journalist Ümit Zileli was taken into custody at the hotel he stayed in İzmir where he went to attend the book fair. Zileli has been released after his testimony was taken at the court he was sent following the completion of his procedures at the police station.

Zileli’s attorney, Murat Ergün said, “He called the Diyarbakır Prison Warden ‘torturer’ regarding September 12 [coup]. When he couldn’t be contacted related to this, custody order was issued. He testified and then released. He will sign his book at the fair in the afternoon”.

Dutch journalist detained over insulting the President

Dutch columnist Ebru Umar has been detained in Kuşadası district of İzmir on charge of “insulting the President”.

Umar in her column in Metro daily had criticized Turkey’s Rotterdam Embassy calling Turkish citizens residing in Rotterdam to “inform on the ones insulting the President”.

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs declaring the developments as to the detention is being closely monitored, political parties and Dutch Journalists Union have condemned the detention against Umar.

Umar announced her detention on her Twitter account as “And police is at the door. It is not a joke” on Saturday. (ÇT/TK)