Writer Nurcan Baysal Deposed over Coronavirus Articles
* Photo: PEN International
Click to read the article in Turkish
Summoned to depose for sharing prison letters on her social media account and her two articles published on Ahval news website, writer and columnist Nurcan Baysal has been released following the related formalities at the police department and court proceedings.
An investigation was launched against Baysal for "threatening to incite the public to enmity and hatred", she went to depose with her lawyer yesterday (March 30), but as the prosecutor was not on duty due to coronavirus, she could not depose. Baysal was summoned to depose again today.
Nurcan Baysal has announced her release on her Twitter account: "I have just been released following the proceedings at the security, prosecutor's office and court this morning. I would like thank everyone who called and expressed solidarity, all institutions and my attorneys. I am home and fine. I am lucky to have each one of you."
Herkese Merhaba
— Nurcan Baysal (@baysal_nurcan) March 31, 2020
Bu sabah emniyet, savcılık ve mahkeme sürecinden sonra serbest bırakıldım az önce. Arayan soran, dayanışmalarını eksik etmeyen herkese, tüm kurumlara ve avukatlarıma teşekkür ederim. Evdeyim, iyiyim
Her biriniz iyi ki varsınız
'I wish the government spent its energy for the virus'
Making a statement after the investigation was launched, Baysal rejected the accusations and briefly stated the following:
"These articles were mostly about the coronavirus measures in Diyarbakır. They were articles about whether and to which extent necessary measures have been taken and, of course, as a citizen, a journalist and a human rights defender, I shared these posts to inform the public and the relevant institutions by using my Constitutional rights.
"I recommend that, instead of taking on us, I mean, journalists and human rights defenders, the government should spend this energy for combating the coronavirus." (HA/SD)