55 journalists stood trial in September

"Reporting news cannot be considered a crime; freedom to journalists"

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Documenting the violations of rights targeting journalists and media outlets in Turkey in monthly reports, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) 26th term MP and journalist Barış Yarkadaş has released his "Violations of Rights in the Media" report for September 2020.

"The pressures targeting journalists went on without slowing down in September. Media members spent most of their working hours in courthouses," Yarkadaş has noted, adding, "Journalists go to the courthouse to give a statement in the morning, rather than going to their workplaces."

Commenting on the findings in his report, he has also referred to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in following words:

"The more the ruling AKP fails to develop solutions for problems, the more pressure it exerts on the media outlets that write the truth."

Yarkadaş has devoted his report to the two pro-opposition broadcasters Halk TV and TELE1, which have been imposed 5-day blackout by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK):

"RTÜK has turned into a stick of the government. That stick falls on the heads of those who call it wrong when they see something wrong. There is neither law nor justice anymore."

'Judges block news arbitrarily'

Noting that "journalists spend most of their working hours in courthouses," Yarkadaş has said, "Sometimes, they do not need to go to the courthouse. Because the news published on the Internet arbitrarily blocked access by the Penal Judgeships of Peace. And we can no longer keep the statistics of this. Because access to thousands of news is blocked by pushing a button at once. And this practice peaked in September."

Yarkadaş has summarized the rights violations faced by journalists and media outlets in September 2020 briefly as follows:

'9 journalists sentenced to 39.5 years in prison'

"Two journalists were arrested; three journalists and one writer/columnist were taken into custody.

"55 journalists stood trial; nine journalists were sentenced to 39 years, 6 months, 20 days in prison in total; four journalists deposed.

"An investigation was launched against two journalists and one journalist was threatened.

"The broadcast of two television channels was suspended for five days; four television channels were given program suspension and monetary fines.

"The sentences given to seven journalists were upheld by the court of appeals; one journalist was sentenced to pay 20 thousand lira.

"An access block was imposed on one website; a criminal complaint was filed against one journalist. Dozens of news were access blocked." (HA/SD)