Turkey: Another Investigation Opened Against Journalist Rabia Önver For Sharing News Articles On Social Media
Location: Turkey, Hakkari
Date: March 2, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
*This report was updated on April 7, 2022.
An investigation was conducted against Jinnews reporter Rabia Önver for sharing news articles on social media. The journalist testified at a counter-terrorism bureau in Hakkari, Turkey, and was accused of spreading terrorist propaganda. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the legal harassment towards Rabia. We urge Turkish authorities to quit targeting journalists who solely do their job. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime.
Rabia, a reporter from Southeast Turkey, facing charges of spreading terror propaganda for sharing news articles of killings of three Kurdish women activists in Paris. The footage of the killings she shared via Twitter is considered criminal. Also, posts of commemoration of Tahir Elçi, Chairperson of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, a prominent human rights lawyer, and a well-known figure as a “peace envoy” and Roboski massacre included her file as a criminal element.
The news article of three Kurdish women activists was about their killings in Paris. They were shot dead in 2013 and one of the victims was known as the founder of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) -a separatist Kurdish group that has pursued a guerrilla war against Turkey since 1984.
Another piece of news considered as a criminal for the alleged accusation against the journalist was the social media post to commemorate the murdered Chairperson od Diyarbakır Bar Association Tahir Elçi. The journalist also posted a news article arguing about the Roboski Massacre in 2011. Known as the Uludere airstrike, Roboski massacre, which took place on December 28, 2011, near the Iraq-Turkey border, 34 people including children were killed over the bombardment of the airstrike.
Speaking to the CFWIJ, Rabia said this legal persecution against journalists is set to intimidate them. She said the footage of the killing of three women was alleged as ‘terror propaganda’ indicating Kurdish flags and streamers. Other elements were also asked to Rabia with the same accusation. She said she testified as a journalist in Hakkari’s counter-terrorism bureau and defended herself objecting to all allegations against her.
“We will not bow down to any pressure on women journalists. We will continue to write our stories," said the journalist. “I will continue to do my job,” she continued.
Following the investigation, the indictment against the journalist was completed by the prosecutor's office on 7 April. The journalist was accused of “spreading terrorist propaganda” in the indictment. It was sent to the Van 1st High Criminal Court and is yet to be accepted by the court.
In 2022, Rabia is the fourth woman journalist who was subjected to an investigation over her journalistic activities in Turkey. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the legal harassment used as tactics to target and intimidate journalists in the country. We urge Turkish authorities to put an end to such practices. Using legal attacks to silence women journalists is a pattern that must stop.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.