Call from Journalism Organizations: Let's show them they're not alone

  • actual
  • 12:19 30 March 2021
  • |
img
VAN - Represantatives of journalistic organizations calling for solidarity with the journalist at the first hearing of the case against them said: "Let's protect our colleagues. It will be journalism we protect."
 
The first hearing of the law suit against Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Cemil Uğur and Adnan Bilen, Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala will be held in Van 5th High Criminal Court on April 2. MA reporter Zeynep Durgut is also on trial without arrest. The five journalists were arrested on October 9, 2020 after breaking the stroy about Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, two villagers thrown out of a military helicopter by soldiers in the Çatak district of Van. The five journalists are accused of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. Nazan Sala is also accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'.
 
In the 14 page indictment, the journalists are accused of 'publishing provocative content against the state' which underlines that the agency does not publish magazine news, sports etc. The journalistic materials confiscated from their homes are considered to be evidences of a crime.
 
Representatives of press organizations called for solidarity with the journalists on trial at the court hearing, which is also closely followed by the public.
 
MKGP: WE WILL NOT GIVE UP OUR GAINS
 
Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) Spokesperson Ayşe Güney noted that those who act with the principles of journalism are tried to be intimidated by detentions and arrests. Pointing out that this policy, which has been tried for years, has not yielded any results, Güney said: "We are not afraid of paying the price for telling the truth. We will not give up sticking to the facts. In the person of our two women colleagues, Kurdish female journalists are on trial. They are targeting the gains of the women. Just like we are fighting for İstanbul Convention, we will not stop defending our gains in the field of the press."
 
Stating that they will be in Van following the hearing, Güney called for solidarity with the journalists on trial.
 
DFG: JOURNALISM IS ON TRIAL
 
Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) Co-chair Serdar Altan reminded that the journalists were arrested for breaking the news about two villagers thrown from a military helicopter by the soldiers and told that this is a disgrace. Altan said: "Journalism is not a crime. Making news is not a crime. Lookign at the indictment, we see that journalism is on trial. Journalism is being criminalized. Everyone should be in that court room on April 2 in solidarity with our colleagues and make sure people can do their job without fears of repercussion.
 
BASIN İŞ: JOURNALISTS DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE
 
Ali Ergin Demirhan, a member of the Executive Board of Press Workers Union affiliated to the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions (DISK), stated that they learned what happened to Servet Turgut and Osman Şiban thanks to these reporters. Demirhan said: "This is what these journalists are accused of. Making us hear about an incident that is kept from us. So the real crime here is journalism. Journalism is being targeted. We say once more that journalism is not a crime and demand our colleagues to be released immediately."
 
CALL TO INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 
 
Calling on to the international institutions to be in solidarity with the journalists on April 2, Demirhan said: "We need to be together and make each other do not feel alone. Otherwise we can not do our jobs."
 
'LET'S PROTECT OUR COLLEAGUES'
 
Turkey Journalists Union (TGS) Chair Gökhan Durmuş said: "It is ridiculous that they say 'they do not do magazine news and insist on writing about social incidents'. This is a joke. I hope they will be released at the hearing and Turkey's democracy and law gets rid of this disgrace."
 
MA / Müjdat Can
 

View More Articles

02/04/2021
12:16 Bilen: Dissident journalists on trial
11:16 AYM announces reason of Gergerlioğlu decision
11:06 Trial of journalists starts with bans
10:11 Hunger strike action in prisons enters day 127
01/04/2021
17:38 Van Democracy Platform: Journalists should be released immediately
15:37 Battered by the police, Ferit Şenyaşar filed a criminal complaint
15:36 People standing watch at Shengal Mountain following decision of Iraq
14:12 Same house raked twice in 24 hours, gendermerie did not respond
14:04 Attorneys of Öcalan submit new application for a visit in İmralı
13:17 Ferit Şenyaşar hospitalized as a result of police violence
13:11 Hol operation enters day 5
12:31 HDP applies to State Council for İstanbul Convention
12:31 Sick prisoner Kaya may lose his eye
12:30 Kurdish Friendship Group issues a call for Shengal
11:16 Electronic bracelets turned into a tool of violence
10:08 Mine explosion in Silopi: A shephard lost his life
10:08 Journalist Türfent on hunger strike
09:47 26th group takes over the rotating hunger strike
09:47 Journalist: Journalism on trial in the person of our colleagues
31/03/2021
16:16 TJA activist sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in jail
16:10 Isolation policy protested in Diyarbakır
15:50 Constitutional Court returns the indictment of HDP closure case
15:29 Gergerlioğlu: We are right, we will resist, we will succeed
14:49 Ayşe Gökkan protested the court that refused her to plead in Kurdish
13:53 Çelik: Closing HDP is a continuation of the denial of Kurds
13:50 Attorneys of Öcalan applied for a visit in İmralı
13:49 Attorneys of journalist: There is no crime here, journalism is on trial
12:40 Hunger strike in prisons enters day 125
12:26 Constitutional Court rejects application against Gergerlioğlu's expulsion from parliament
12:26 Senior ISIS captured in Hol Operation
12:25 Bilen and Uğur: We should be on the field, not in prison
11:09 Shengal call of former peshmerga: Don't leave Shengal defenseless
30/03/2021
18:38 Constitutional Court rapporteur returns HDP indictment
16:44 We see Gergerlioğlu with us during the KHKs
15:56 53 arrests made in the al-Hol Camp Campaign
15:55 Our obligations will not disappear withdrawing from Istanbul Convention
13:57 Ignoring hunger strikes leads to social decay
13:16 Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar released from custody
12:54 Police raid on Çukurova TUHAD- FED: 11 detained
12:28 Attorneys submit new application to visit Öcalan
12:27 Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar taken into custody
12:20 Gergerlioğlu: We do not have surrendering in our tradition
12:19 Call from Journalism Organizations: Let's show them they're not alone
10:10 KNK Co-chair: 2,500 soldiers deployed on the Shengal-Rojava border
09:41 Hunger strike action in prisons enters day 124
29/03/2021
17:16 Gergerlioğlu: ‘People choose me, I choose to resist’
16:17 Boğaziçi University academicians apply to council of state
14:35 21 thousand 495 people fined for violating curfew rules
13:42 Attorneys submit new application to visit Öcalan
12:12 Man in prison for violence against his wife asks if he can be released after withdrawal from İstanbul Convention