DİYARBAKIR - Journalist Mehmet şah Oruç, who was detained and released after 7 days following the 'trustee' protests in Mardin, said that even though they stated that they were journalists, they were asked just one question: 'What were you doing there on the day of the action?'

 

Our agency reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç and Jinnews reporter Rojda Aydın, journalists Nurcan Yalçın and Halime Parlak were taken into custody following the demonstration held in Mardin following the appointments of trustees in Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van. Five journalists were released on August 26 at the Mardin Security Directorate, where they were held for a week. Speaking about their experiences, our correspondent Mehmet Şah Oruç said that hundreds of citizens were there to follow the protest in front of the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality. Oruç stating that they were targeted because the citizens participating in the protests were being taken under custody violently and most were injured as a result of the harsh police intervention and those images were being recorded by their cameras. Oruç said they were trying to prevent the violence to be reflected to the national and international public opinon. Oruç who stated that he was handcuffed from the back when he was being detained, said: "Despite the fact that we introduced ourselves as members of press and showed our press cards, we were handcuffed and insulted. While the 5 of us being taken under custody violently, those who were working for the mainstream media were not being interrupted in any way.

 

 

THEY ASKED JUST ONE QUESTION

 

 

On the 7th day of his detention, Oruç said that their statements started to be taken. “When they took the statement, they asked only the following question. 'What were you doing there on the day of the action?' They said absurdly, ‘What are you looking for there' even though we told him that we went there for news coverage on the day of the action."

 

'EVERYONE WILL NEED FREE PRESS ONE DAY'

 

 

Oruç stating that the unlawfulness they have been subjected to in the last week can not be seperated from all their colleagues, hundreds of journalists jailed, underlined that they will never accept these practices of disturbance of the right to news and undermining the right to expression. Oruç stating that everyone needs the free press, added: "Journalism is not a crime and everyone will need free press one day."

 

 

'WE DO NOT INTEND TO GIVE UP'

 

 

Stating that their insistance of press freedom is not only because of the profession demands it, but also as journalists their duty is to the people not to the authority and the government, said: "Without a doubt, being journalists in the region is not easy, have never been easy. Journalists are under constant pressure from power as well as the negative conditions they face during news coverage. We are standing trials because of the news articles we write. However we have no intention of giving up, no matter what. We want to tell the people the truth with the urge of conveying the facts.