Kurdish journalist Nafiye Bal released following questioning

Nafiye Bal, the editor of the Kurdish-language weekly newspaper Xwebûn, was taken into custody on October 23 after a raid on her home, which was triggered by the statements of an open witness, Ümit Akbıyık. Following her questioning at the police station, Bal was brought to the Diyarbakır Courthouse. 

Mezopotamya Agency reported that, after providing her statement to the prosecutor, Bal was referred to the Penal Judgeship of Peace, where she was subsequently released with judicial control measures and an international travel ban. 

Bal's release was met with a warm welcome from Serdar Altan, the Co-Chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, and the staff of Xwebûn Newspaper. 

During her time at the police station, Bal was queried about any affiliation with an "organization," whether she had used a "code name," if she had planned any actions with an organization, and who provided instructions for any actions and activities she may have undertaken. 

Bal, who has appeared as a key figure in the case files of over 600 individuals, clarified her position during questioning: "I have no relationship or contact with any organization, and I do not have a code name that I use. I have not taken any instructions from anyone because I have not carried out any actions on behalf of the organization. I do not know anyone within the organization." 

The witness

Furthermore, Bal was shown a photograph of the open witness Ümit Akbıyık and asked if she recognized the individual in the picture. She responded, "I recognize the person whose photograph you showed me as Ümit Akbıyık. I first saw this person during the local election period in 2019 when he was active as a member of the HDP Youth Council in Diyarbakır, at the HDP provincial office. Later, I met with this person as a journalist to report on the anti-drug campaign. I have had no other meetings or connections with him." 

Bal's release comes after an investigation into her alleged involvement with a “terrorist organization,” which was initiated based on the testimony of Ümit Akbıyık, who testified against hundreds of people in similar investigations. 

Xwebûn is a Kurdish-language weekly newspaper that started publishing in 2019. It is the only newspaper in Kurdish that is both an internet outlet and also published in papers in Turkey.  

Kurdish journalists in Turkey face frequent trials, mostly on charges related to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In July, 17 Kurdish journalists and a media worker went on trial on terrorism charges after spending 13 months in pretrial detention. 

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Turkey was the fourth-worst jailer of journalists in 2022, with 40 behind bars, more than half of whom were Kurdish journalists. (TY/VK)