Women Press Freedom wrote in a statement to be "appalled by the decision of the Ankara court to convict eight journalists, including four women journalists, from the Kurdish news outlet Mezopotamya Agency."

The statement added: "The journalists have received prison sentences of 6 years and 3 months for being members of a terrorist organization. We strongly denounce these bogus convictions and harsh sentences of the eight journalists and demand that they be immediately overturned. This ruling, which was based on flimsy evidence, exemplifies the Turkish judiciary's efforts to criminalize journalism, particularly the Kurdish press. The Turkish authorities' continuous persecution of Kurdish journalists is unjust."

The association demands "an end to this harassment and call on the international community to join us in condemning the actions of the Turkish courts, which have consistently been weaponized by the authorities to suppress the press."

Background

On 3 July 2024, the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court sentenced eight Kurdish journalists from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) to 6 years and 3 months in prison.

The journalists, Berivan Altan, Öznur Değer, Diren Yurtsever, Zemo Ağgöz, and others, were charged with being members of a terrorist organization.

Three other journalists, Habibe Eren from JİNNEWS, Ceylan Şahinli from MA, and former MA intern Mehmet Günhan were acquitted.

Following the verdict, the sentenced journalists expressed their anger and disappointment with the court’s ruling.