‘Turkey should bring charges against real crimes against humanity’

The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ), a global organization of support for women journalists, has released a statement regarding the recent arrest of four journalists in Turkey's Van province.

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Cemil Uğur and Adnan Bilen, Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala were arrested on charge of "membership of the organization" on October 9.

Cemil Uğur, one of the arrested journalists, revealed it with documents that Servet Turgut and Osman Şiban were dropped from a helicopter after they had been taken into custody by the soldiers in Çatak, Van.

CLICK - 4 journalists arrested in Van province

Against this backdrop, the statement of the CFWIJ has indicated that "journalists from JinNews and Mezopotamya Agency have been arrested for reporting on an inhumane torture commited by the military."

The organization has also announced that it has joined the social media campaign started with the hashtag #GazetecilikYargilanamaz (Journalism cannot be put on trial) following the arrest of the journalists.

"The Coalition For Women In Journalism joined the campaign with full awareness that Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala didn't commit a crime but they were doing their jobs in exposing the truth," the statement has read.

Other highlights from the CFWIJ statement is as follows:

'Charge real crimes against humanity'

"Over the years, Mesopotamia Agency has systematically been bombarded with pressures from the Turkish government.

"Jin News, being the only news agency with all-female reporters in the country, has also been in the radar of the government for quite some time. Not surprisingly, Jin News journalists also have been constantly facing detainments and legal harassments from the government.

"The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the authorities to make charges against real crimes against humanity, rather than putting politically-polarized pressures on press freedom in the country.

'The law is ambiguous, open for interpretation'

"Regarding the punishment of the claimed 'crimes', Turkish penalty code article 220 states the following: 'Any person who becomes a member of an organisation established to commit offences shall be sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment for a term of one to three years. If the organisation is armed, the penalty stated will be increased from one fourth to one half. If an offence is committed in the course of the organisation's activities, then an additional penalty shall be imposed for such offences.'

"Accordingly, the journalists may possibly face an imprisonment penalty of 4.5 years, which is open to extensions. These already groundless accusations have led to the arrest of the four journalists as the prosecution decided for an arrest during the trial today.

"As it can easily be seen, the linguistic style of the law is kept rather ambiguous and open for interpretation. In fact, implementation of this very law has resulted in mass imprisonments of journalists in Turkey. Currently, four women journalists are behind bars for fulfilling their journalistic duties, with Şehriban and Nazan, the number now increases to six.

'Judicial control is a serious breach of rights'

"Apart from the four journalists mentioned, Yeni Yaşam newspaper distributor Fehim Çetiner and former distributor Şükran Erdem were also charged of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'.

"At the hearing, the court decided to release them. Fehim and Şükran's release is relieving; however, CFWIJ finds judicial control measures and travel bans put on them as a serious breach of their fundamental rights.

"The Coalition for Women in Journalism stands in solidarity with the journalists and their commitment to truthful reporting. We strongly condemn the shameful charges against them and demand the judiciary to overturn the decision and respect press freedom."

What happened?

Police raided the office of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) and houses of several journalists, including Jinnews reporters, in Turkey's Kurdish majority eastern province of Van in the early morning hours on October 5.

MA reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala were detained in the raids. On October 9, they were arrested on charge of "membership of the organization".

Cemil Uğur, one of the detained journalists, revealed it with documents that Servet Turgut and Osman Şiban were dropped from a helicopter after they had been taken into custody by the soldiers launching an operation in the rural parts of Çatak district in Van. Treated in the intensive care unit for days after the incident, Turgut lost his life on September 30.

The Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which conducts an investigation into the allegations, has both imposed a confidentiality order on the file and a ban on news to be broadcast or published about the allegations.

(SD)