Local journalist covering Suruç massacre commemoration sentenced to prison

* Photo: Atayurt Newspaper

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Journalist Ali Arslan Dadük was detained in rear-handcuffs in Hatay's Samandağ while he was covering the commemoration ceremony for Okan Pirinç, who died in the Suruç massacre on July 20, 2015.

In the trial that has been ongoing since 2017, the court handed down its ruling on November 12 and ruled that Samandağ Sovtna newspaper's grant holder Dadük should be sentenced to 10 months in prison for "unarmed participation in unlawful meetings and demonstration, refusing to disperse despite the warning and resisting to prevent the fulfilment of duty". The announcement of the verdict has been deferred.

Three days later, the journalists from the local newspapers of Sovtna, Cemre, Ayna and Samandağ protested this prison sentence by holding a joint press statement yesterday (November 15).

Recalling how Dadük had been "rear-handcuffed like a criminal and taken into custody while photographing the incidents during the 7th day commemoration for Okan Pirinç in Karaçay," the journalists underlined that the prison sentence given to Dadük was "not the first pressure or attempted intimidation targeting the profession and their colleagues."

"And it will probably not be the last," they said and added:

"Because according to the World Press Freedom Index, Turkey is unfortunately 157th among 180 countries.

"Living with this shame now, we are having difficulties in doing right, principled, impartial and public-minded journalism... We, as the laborers of the free press, will continue serving our people for freedom of information without being intimidated, sick or tired, scared or obeying..."

The local journalists underlined that "the 10-month prison sentence given to Ali Arslan Dadük despite him presenting his press card to the court once again shows that they act in breach of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of press and it is unacceptable."

Underlining the importance of freedom of expression and press as well as freedom of publication as fundamental human rights, they stressed that "guaranteeing these rights is essential in a democratic rule of law."

They concluded, "People's right to information cannot be restricted despite all unlawful acts. We, as the laborers of the free press, once again reiterate from here: Our colleague Alis Arslan Dadük is not alone."

The press statement of the journalists was also supported by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Hatay MP Serkan Topal as well as representatives of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP), Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), Social Freedom Party (TÖP), DEVA Party, Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen), Hatay Bar Association and Pensioners Union.

What happened?

Okan Pirinç was killed in the Suruç massacre in Urfa on July 20, 2015. A day later, he was laid to rest in Defne district in Hatay.

The gendarmerie intervened against the 7th-day commemoration for Pirinç, taking several people into custody. Following the commemoration, journalist Ali Arslan Dadük was also detained in rear-handcuffs. He was released by the judicial bodies following the related formalities.

The Samandağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Arslan and 27 others detained alongside him, charging them with "unarmed participation in unlawful meetings and demonstration, refusing to disperse despite the warning and resisting to prevent the fulfilment of duty". The investigation turned into a court case in 2017.

Speaking to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) after the final hearing on November 12, journalist Dadük protested the prison sentence, underlining that the ruling was handed down even though he submitted his press card to the case file and it was officially known that he was a journalist. According to Dadük, the then sub-governor called him after his detention and expressed his/her sadness about the incident, promising that nothing like this would happen again. "Then, based on what has this ruling been handed down," asked the journalist.

"You should know that we, honorable laborers of the press, will never bow down in the face of these sentences that you give. Neither the atrocity of fascism nor iron bars or the repressive policies of this government can intimidate us. You can never restrict people's freedom of information."

CLICK - BIA Media Monitoring Reports

(KÖ/SD)