FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• Group staging sit-in in front of HDP building attacks JINNEWS journalist in Amed 

  JINNEWS journalist Gülistan Azak, who went to HDP Amed provincial building to follow the news, was attacked by the group sitting in front of the building with the police.
• Police take Mezopotamya Agency journalist Aslan into custody 

  Mezopotamya Agency reporter Mehmet Aslan was taken into custody following a raid carried out on his home within the scope of political genocide operations.
• 79 journalists detained, 24 jailed in Turkey in 2020 

  DFG announced that 79 journalists were detained in 2020 and 24 of them were imprisoned.
• Old Bailey rules today on extradition of Assange to the US 

  Wiki Leaks founder, journalist Juliane Assange faces ruling on extradition to the US.
• DIHA reporter sentenced to 7,5 years in prison 

  DIHA reporter Mazlum Dolan was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison on terror charges.
• RSF: At least 50 journalists killed in 2020 

  A total of 50 journalists were killed worldwide in 2020, said Reporters Without Borders.
• Journalist Bulut: The AKP-MHP regime is afraid of a free press 

  Journalist Zeynel Bulut said that the free press shows the truth and exposes the real face of the state which is why it became the target of the government. The AKP-MHP government, he said, is afraid of the facts and wants to keep them in the dark.
• Police take Jinnews journalist into custody in Dersim 

  Turkish police has taken Jinnews reporter Gulistan Azak into custody in Pertek, Dersim.
• Özgür Gündem main trial held in Istanbul 

  Human Rights Association co-chair Eren Keskin, who is tried in the main trial of Özgür Gündem newspaper, said that she would not make any further statement as she did not believe that there would be an objective trial.
• Journalist Dindar Karataş faces 15 years in prison 

  Journalist Dindar Karataş, imprisoned in Turkey, faces 15 years in prison for his critical reporting on the deadly crackdown by Turkish security forces on Kurdish civilians.
• Prison sentence asked for journalists criticizing Afrin offensive 

  Three left-wing journalists in Turkey are to be sentenced on terror charges for their criticism of Turkey's war of aggression against Afrin. They have already spent several months in pre-trial detention.
• Journalist Can Dündar sentenced to over 27 years in prison 

  Turkish journalist Can Dündar was sentenced in absentia to more than 27 years in prison.
• Cyber-attack on women's news agency Jinnews 

  The website of Jinnews, the voice of women, was made inaccesible on Monday night. Jinnews, which has been blocked for the 15th time, is now under intense cyber-attack.
• Journalist Zeynep Durgut released from custody 

  Kurdish journalist Zeynep Durgut, who was arrested in Cizre on Thursday, has been released on condition of judicial control. A ban on leaving the country was also imposed.
• Court demands imprisonment for MA journalist Zeynep Durgut 

  Mezopotamya Agency journalist Zeynep Durgut appeared in court accused of "acting on behalf of an illegal organization".
• CFWIJ demands immediate release of journalist Zeynep Durgut 

  “Attacks against journalists overshadow press freedom and freedom of expression. Journalism is not a crime and must not be prosecuted as such,” said the CFWIJ on the detention of yet another journalist in Turkey.
• Four journalists detained in Şırnak 

  The Turkish regime’s repression against journalists continues unabated.
• Hearing of journalists in solidarity with Özgür Gündem postponed 

  The hearing of a lawsuit filed against the journalists who participated in the Editor-in-Chief on Duty campaign launched in solidarity with Özgür Gündem newspaper was held on Tuesday. The hearing was postponed to 4 March.
• RSF says 387 journalists are currently in prison worldwide 

  Worldwide, a total of 387 journalists are currently detained in connection with their work, 54 are held hostage and four are missing, says Reporters Without Borders.
• Police in Çoman takes RojNews journalist Hamed into custody 

  RojNews journalist Zusik Hamed has been arrested in Çoman, South Kurdistan. The journalist had been criticising the arrest of youth activists on his social media. He has now been taken to the Soran Police Department.
• #HRD2020: Let Turkey’s Journalists Report Freely 

  IPI calls on Turkey to mark Human Rights Day by letting journalists report freely.
• Turkey has the highest number of journalists in prison 

  The IFJ launches a White Paper on Global Journalism to mark the International Day for Human Rights on 10 December 2020.
• Turkey closes Nûçe Ciwan Agency site once again, new site online 

  The Youth News Agency (Nûçe Ciwan Agency) once again has been targeted by the Turkish state. The answer from the agency was inmediate: Nuceciwan61 has been replaced by nucecivan62.
• Journalist Doğan sentenced to 6 years in prison 

  Journalist Ayşegül Doğan was sentenced to 6 years in prison. Doğan was a program coordinator on İMC TV which was closed down through a governmental decree.
• Government blocks internet access to Jinnews agency 

  Internet access to Jinnews agency blocked once again.