Diyarbakır detentions: 16 journalists remanded in custody, six released

Photo: Sibel Yükler/Twitter

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Sixten journalists who were detained in the predominantly Kurdish province of Diyarbakır during last week's police raids were remanded in custody early today (June 16).

The Penal Judgeship of Peace released four journalists and two other people who were also detained during the raids on homes and offices of media outlets.

The reason for the detentions and arrests is not disclosed due to a gag order on the investigation.

Colleagues and family members of the journalists protested the arrests in front of the Diyarbakır Courthouse, chanting the slogans "Free press cannot be silenced," "We will prevail by resisting" and "Berxwedan jiyan e" (Kurdish for "Life is resistance").

The detentions triggered protests by journalism groups, especially in the country's Kurdish-majority regions.

Names of the arrested journalists: Aziz Oruç, an editor for the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Safiye Alagaş, the news manager of JinNews, Serdar Altan, the co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFGD), Mehmet Ali Ertaş, the managing editor of the Xwebun newspaper, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Şahin, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Elif Üngör, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan, Lezgin Akdeniz, İbrahim Koyuncu, Abdurrahman Öncü, Ramazan Geciken and Mazlum Güler.

Gülşen Koçuk, Kadir Bayram, Mehmet Yalçın, Esmer Tunç and Feynaz Koçuk, and İhsan Ergünlü, who was also detained along with the journalists, were released on probation.

Gazeteciler Mazlum Doğan Güler, Ramazan Geciken, Abdurrahman Öncü, İbrahim Koyuncu, Lezgin Akdeniz, Suat Doğuhan, Remziye Temel, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Serdar Altan, Ömer Çelik, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Ali Ertaş, Mehmet Şahin, Elif Üngür, Aziz Oruç ve Safiye Alagaş tutuklandı.

— Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği (@DFGDernegi) June 16, 2022

(SD/HA/VK)