Turkey: Award Winner Journalist Zehra Özdilek Is Acquitted Of Charges Of “Targeting People Who Took Part In The Fight Against Terrorism”
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: September 24, 2020Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Fourth hearing of the case against BIRN EU Investigative Journalism Award recipient Zehra Özdilek was held today. Zehra was accused of “identifying a public officer on anti-terrorist duty as a target" because of her news report titled “Onay, who is behind bars for asking for her job back, calls on KESK”. She was charged for disclosing the name of a secret witness in an interview she conducted with a teacher dismissed from duty through a statutory decree.
Zehra, in her defence statement, had refused the charges against her, “I make news of violation of rights. Aforementioned article was again about a violation of rights. I do not think that my article is a crime. It must be considered within the scope of press freedom. Said secret witness was previously named in many news in different mediums” and requested her acquittal.
Following the initial hearing in February 2020, The Coalition For Women In Journalism also requested that the charges be dropped and stated that: “While several other outlets have been involved in publishing the same story, derailing this case exposes the discriminatory face of authorities against women journalists, only because they see them as easy targets.”
Zehra Özdilek was acquitted of the charges during today’s hearing due to lack of evidence pointing out any crime. The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes this decision and asks the judiciary to use this as a precedent for cases that target journalists for their professional activities.
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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.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
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