DİHA Reporter Mazlum Dolan Arrested

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Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Mazlum Dolan detained after stuck in a house in Sur and referred to court for arrest over “[illegal] organization membership” has been arrested along with four people.

CLICK - ARREST DEMAND FOR DİHA REPORTER MAZLUM DOLAN

The number of Imprisoned journalists is now 35.

Denouncements, secret and open witness statements, and powder detected on his clothes despite coming out of Sur under bombardment have been shown as justification for the arrest warrant.

DİHA reminded that Dolan was taken into custody after carrying heavily injured Fatma Ateş, her husband Fahrettin, and daughters Sinem and Fatma Ateş, and Ekrem Karatay to ambulance.

What had happened?

Mazlum Dolan was after news in Sur district where has been under curfew over 79 days.

DİHA contacting Dolan on February 17 learned that he was stuck in a basement together with many others.

He said the following in his message he sent to DİHA via phone:

“The situation is bad; we are in a basement. I am with families, soon an incident similar to the one in Cizre may occur. The clashes are very fierce, the places where we are having been heavily bombed by mortar and tanks. Announces saying ‘We will strike from air, kill you all’ are being made. Take care of yourselves, greetings to friends.

“There are wounded, some of them are in serious condition. There are 30 people in where I am. There is around 200 people in other places including elders and babies”.

The European Court of Human Rights had denied the appeal for “interim measure” by attorneys of Libertarian Legists Association and Mesopotamia Legists Association.

Journalists including News Watch participants had marched towards Sur for Dolan and civilians on February 19. Journalists being blocked by police had staged a sit-in act.

Dolan and the other five people accompanying him were detained on February 19. (BK/TK)