Report: Rights of 11 journalists violated in August

A police officer pulling his gun after a HDP rally in Van on September 1. (Photo: MA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Eleven journalists were subjected to rights violations, including detention, obstruction, and threats, in August, according to the Tigris-Euphrates Journalists Association's (DFG) monthly report.

"We have left behind a month in which journalists are exposed to repression, obstruction, detentions, investigations and arrests just because of their professional activities," said the association.

Arrests, threats and ill-treatment

In the last month, five journalists were detained and two of them were eventually remanded in custody. Home of one journalist was raided, five journalists suffered ill-treatment, five reporters were obstructed while following events, and eight journalists were threatened, says the report.

The judicial authorities opened investigations against four journalists and filed lawsuits against also four journalists.

Currently, 20 journalists are on trial in Türkiye, according to the report.

With the addition of two arrests last month, the number of incarcerated journalists rose to 79. The DFG found 37 rights violations against journalists in prison in a month.

Penalties and censorship

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) penalized three media outlets, banned 22 broadcasts, issued monetary penalties due to five broadcasts, and issued broadcast suspension penalties on three media outlets.

Also, courts blocked access to four news websites and 114 news articles in August.

Violations against field journalists

* The deputy police chief of İstanbul's Çekmeköy district threatened İsmail Arı, a reporter for daily BirGün, who was following locals' protests against a project to convert a recreational park to a car park. Also, a group of private security officers attempted to attack him.

* Police battered journalists who were trying to film the police response to young Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) supporters, who began a march after the party's rally in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

* In Van, a police officer threatened journalists who followed the HDP's Peace Day rally in the eastern Van province, saying, "I shoot you and nobody can find your body." Also, photos showed a police officer pulling his gun during the incidents.

The DFG said threatening journalists was unacceptable and demanded judicial and administrative investigation against the officers who committed violence.

CLICK - BİA Media Monitoring 2nd Quarterly Report 

CLICK - BİA Media Monitoring Database 

(HA/VK)