The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) issued a strong statement ahead of the December 27 hearing for journalist Ali Kişmir, the President of the Press Workers' Union (BASIN-SEN) of North Cyprus, who faces up to 10 years in prison for criticizing Turkey's intervention in the Northern Cyprus elections.
Kişmir will appear before a judge in Cyprus, accused of "targeting the Security Forces Command" and allegedly "disparaging and defaming the institution's spiritual personality" in one of his articles in 2020.
Kuleli: "Erdogan government trying to export its oppressive policies"
EFJ Vice President Mustafa Kuleli criticized Turkey's Cyprus policy and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a statement released before tomorrow's trial.
Kuleli described the case as an "operation to suppress critical voices in the Turkish Cypriot community" and stated, "The Erdogan government is trying to export its oppressive policies against journalists in Turkey to Cyprus. By intervening in the judiciary, politics, and media of the supposedly independent and sovereign Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, they are imposing Turkey's anti-democratic and authoritarian order on the north of Cyprus."
Kuleli emphasized that this "engineered political case was intended to intimidate Turkish Cypriots," expressing hope that the North Cyprus judiciary would "resist pressures and deliver an important lesson to politicians."
Gutiérrez: "Lawsuits to silence journalists undertaken by authoritarian regimes"
EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez also expressed his reaction to the case, sharing the following message on his social media account:
"We demand the baseless and disproportionate accusations against our colleague Ali Kişmir to be withdrawn. Filing lawsuits against journalists to silence them is an action commonly undertaken by authoritarian regimes. We call on the authorities to refrain from prosecuting critical journalists and remind them of their obligations towards freedom of expression."
Journalist from Cyprus sentenced in Turkey for insulting the President
Northern Cypriot president sentenced to pay damages to journalist
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Assault on Afrika Newspaper in Northern Cyprus
(HA/PE)
