World Press Freedom Day in prison for 47 journalists in Turkey
World Press Freedom Day in prison for 47 journalists in Turkey
Today is World Press Freedom Day. In Turkey the day is "celebrated" by 5 journalists in prison for their writings, another 42 press members in prison in the context of operations like "Ergenekon" and other major trials and investigations. Within 3 months, 13 people were sentenced to monetary fines and almost 22 years in jail on the grounds of their opinions on the Kurdish question.
Summing up the BIA Media Monitoring Report for the first three months of the year, Bianet journalist Erol Onderoglu underlines that "the custody of journalists, Nedim Þener and Ahmet Þýk as the most prominent figures, and the raids on their homes and offices left their mark on the first three months of 2011."
But 13 people were sentenced to imprisonment of 21 years and ten months in total throughout the first three months of 2011on the grounds of their opinions on the Kurdish question. They were handed down monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946 (€ 33,500).
Onderoglu also writes that "Upon the insistence of the Court of Appeals, a local court paved the way to a potential flood of trials when they sued writer Orhan Pamuk by reason of his statement "We killed 30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians". Thus, the controversial Article 301 ("insult" to the Turkish state) now also penetrated compensation files. Sociologist Ýsmail Beþikçi was convicted under the Anti-Terror Law because of the letter "Q" and received a prison sentence of one year and three months."
All in all journalists in Turkey meet the World Press Freedom Day in an environment where standards of press freedom and freedom of expression are made a topic of debate by the highest authorities and where people who are fighting for the sake of press freedom are being made targets.
The 2011 January-February-March Media Monitoring Report of the Independent Communication Network (BÝA) Media Monitoring Desk reveals that 62 journalists as part of a group of 103 people in total are currently being prosecuted in the scope of trials related to freedom thought and freedom of expression.
The report marks 3 May by putting forth the pressure on columnists applied by the government; the conviction of 13 people to imprisonment of 21 years and ten months in total within the first quarter of the year that came together with monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946 on the grounds of voicing their opinion on the Kurdish question; the oppression of journalists reporting about major trials like "Ergenekon" et al. by prison threats in the context of 2,000 pending trials; the wiping out of the right to confidentiality of a source as one of the most fundamental rights of journalists by raiding homes and offices (as in the cases of Ahmeht Þýk and Nedim Þener).
On 20 pages the report comprises the struggle of 267 people against violations that were categorized under the following headings: "Attacks and Threats", "Arrests and Detentions", "Trials regarding Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression", "Corrections and Legal Redress", "European Court of Human Rights", "Reactions to Censorship" and "Applications of RTÜK".
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) sentenced Turkey to monetary fines summing up to TL 117,000 (€ 58,000) on the grounds of violations of freedom of expression in the scope of five files brought before the international court by 15 applicants. Fines handed down to Turkey in the same period of time last year amounted to TL 133,000 (€ 63,423) in total. This rise continues the general tendency of increasing fines issued to Turkey by the ECHR.
Bianet Report underlined that on 31 March 2011, five journalists were being incarcerated by reason of their published articles and books, namely Vedat Kurþun and Ozan Kýlýç as former editors-in-chief of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper; Bedri Adanýr, owner of Aram Publishing and executive of Hawar newspaper; the editorial manager of the Ýþçi Köylü ('Worker Peasant') newspaper, Barýþ Açýkel; and Proleterce Devrimci Duruþ ('Proletarian Revolutionary Stance') newspaper writer Nevin Berktaþ. At the first quarter of 2010, two journalists were behind bars because of their writings.
In the first quarter of 2011, 46 people faced prison terms of 334 years and 4 months in total and monetary fines summing up TL 66,946 under the Anti-Terror Law (TMY). 13 defendants were sentenced to imprisonment of 22 years and 10 months in total and monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946. At the same time in 2010 in comparison, Turkish courts handed down prison sentences of 28 years and five months and monetary fines of TL 16,660 (€ 8,300) in total.
Summing up the BIA Media Monitoring Report for the first three months of the year, Bianet journalist Erol Onderoglu underlines that "the custody of journalists, Nedim Þener and Ahmet Þýk as the most prominent figures, and the raids on their homes and offices left their mark on the first three months of 2011."
But 13 people were sentenced to imprisonment of 21 years and ten months in total throughout the first three months of 2011on the grounds of their opinions on the Kurdish question. They were handed down monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946 (€ 33,500).
Onderoglu also writes that "Upon the insistence of the Court of Appeals, a local court paved the way to a potential flood of trials when they sued writer Orhan Pamuk by reason of his statement "We killed 30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians". Thus, the controversial Article 301 ("insult" to the Turkish state) now also penetrated compensation files. Sociologist Ýsmail Beþikçi was convicted under the Anti-Terror Law because of the letter "Q" and received a prison sentence of one year and three months."
All in all journalists in Turkey meet the World Press Freedom Day in an environment where standards of press freedom and freedom of expression are made a topic of debate by the highest authorities and where people who are fighting for the sake of press freedom are being made targets.
The 2011 January-February-March Media Monitoring Report of the Independent Communication Network (BÝA) Media Monitoring Desk reveals that 62 journalists as part of a group of 103 people in total are currently being prosecuted in the scope of trials related to freedom thought and freedom of expression.
The report marks 3 May by putting forth the pressure on columnists applied by the government; the conviction of 13 people to imprisonment of 21 years and ten months in total within the first quarter of the year that came together with monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946 on the grounds of voicing their opinion on the Kurdish question; the oppression of journalists reporting about major trials like "Ergenekon" et al. by prison threats in the context of 2,000 pending trials; the wiping out of the right to confidentiality of a source as one of the most fundamental rights of journalists by raiding homes and offices (as in the cases of Ahmeht Þýk and Nedim Þener).
On 20 pages the report comprises the struggle of 267 people against violations that were categorized under the following headings: "Attacks and Threats", "Arrests and Detentions", "Trials regarding Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression", "Corrections and Legal Redress", "European Court of Human Rights", "Reactions to Censorship" and "Applications of RTÜK".
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) sentenced Turkey to monetary fines summing up to TL 117,000 (€ 58,000) on the grounds of violations of freedom of expression in the scope of five files brought before the international court by 15 applicants. Fines handed down to Turkey in the same period of time last year amounted to TL 133,000 (€ 63,423) in total. This rise continues the general tendency of increasing fines issued to Turkey by the ECHR.
Bianet Report underlined that on 31 March 2011, five journalists were being incarcerated by reason of their published articles and books, namely Vedat Kurþun and Ozan Kýlýç as former editors-in-chief of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper; Bedri Adanýr, owner of Aram Publishing and executive of Hawar newspaper; the editorial manager of the Ýþçi Köylü ('Worker Peasant') newspaper, Barýþ Açýkel; and Proleterce Devrimci Duruþ ('Proletarian Revolutionary Stance') newspaper writer Nevin Berktaþ. At the first quarter of 2010, two journalists were behind bars because of their writings.
In the first quarter of 2011, 46 people faced prison terms of 334 years and 4 months in total and monetary fines summing up TL 66,946 under the Anti-Terror Law (TMY). 13 defendants were sentenced to imprisonment of 22 years and 10 months in total and monetary fines amounting to TL 66,946. At the same time in 2010 in comparison, Turkish courts handed down prison sentences of 28 years and five months and monetary fines of TL 16,660 (€ 8,300) in total.
