Journalist Coşkun: All Digital Material and Videos Confiscated

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Journalist Canan Coşkun and documentary filmmaker Kazım Kızıl are still in detention in Eynesil, Giresun, where they went to investigate the suspicious death of 11-year-old Rabia Naz Vatan.

Currently, at the Eynesil Police Station, Coşkun told bianet in a phone call that there has been no mistreatment against them, they have rather behaved well.

Having given her statement to the police, Coşkun said, "We don't know how much longer we will wait. Şaban Vatan's [father of Rabia Naz] questioning is still underway, a search was conducted in his house as well. They also wanted the password of my mobile phone."

The police confiscated all "digital material" such as portable modems, mobile phones, power banks, and cameras and the videos filmed, Coşkun noted. "They also confiscated a bag of Kazım Kızıl, taking the coat of arms of Hamburg Film Festival on the bag as 'crime evidence.'"

Police searched Vatan family's house

After Şaban Vatan was summoned to the police station to give a statement, his wife, Atika Vatan, posted a video on social media where she talked about the situation.

After the video was released, the police raided the house and conducted a search. Speaking again after the raid, Atika Vatan said that "a very detailed search" was conducted in her home.

The prosecutor's office is expected to announce a decision regarding the detained people after the questionings are completed.

Statement from Governor's Office

Releasing a statement about the detentions, the Governorship said Görele Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing an investigation against the journalists for "blackmailing, injuring someone on purpose, threat, insult and depriving a person of his/her freedom."

The Governorship also informed the parliamentary committee for investigating suspicious deaths of children about the situation "as the name of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is mentioned in the case." Journalist Coşkun went to Giresun as an adviser to an MP in the committee.

"It is determined that father Şaban Vatan threatened witness Mürsel Küçükal after the committee completed its activities and left our province," the statement said.

The police were called at around 5.57 yesterday (November 13) and the police teams went to the scene of the incident, the statement said, announcing the findings of the police inquiry:

"After the police were notified that Şaban Vatan locked Mürsel Küçükal, who gave a statement about the Rabia Naz case, in a workshop and that people heard shouting in the workshop, the police team on duty went to the residence of Mustafa Küçükal."

Speaking to the police, Küçükal claimed that journalist Coşkun forced him to tell her about his testimonial and that he was moved inside the workshop by force and was threatened. (AS/VK)