31 of 32 press members who were detained in Diyarbakır province in southeastern Turkey have been released. The police raided Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Azadiya Welat, Aram Publishing House and Kürdi-Der bureaus.
According to DiHA, there was a child among the detainees.
DİHA said detained journalists were searched for gunshot residue.
Journalists: Free media won’t be silent
Freed journalists made a press statement.
Mehmet Ali Ertaş, Association of Free Journalists’ Member of Board, emphasized they were under arrest for seven hours, “The aim of this illegal detention is to silence free media members but free media won’t be silent.”
Editor Ramazan Ölçen from Azadiya Welat daily said free media couldn’t be shut up and they would pursue the truth.
How were they detained?
An armored police vehicle and an armored military vehicle had been attacked in Diyarbakır last evening so the entrance and exit of 13 quarters were closed.
Police launched an investigation and extended the operation to DİHA and Kürdi-Der.
Masum Kaya, one of the lawyers of DİHA, said the raided building belonged to the association and the search warrant should have been issued from governorship not the prosecution. (BK/BD)
* Photo Credit: Gülsen Demir / Twitter
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