Location: Turkey, Van
Date: April 21, 2022

Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe

The sixth hearing of the case against journalist Rojda Oğuz was held in Van today. The prosecution submitted its opinion to the court, and dropped “membership in a terrorist organization” charge against Rojda Oğuz. However, the prosecution sought conviction against journalist for “spreading terror propaganda” charge. the journalist be punished on the charge of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization". 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the legal harassment against the journalists. Anti-terror laws must not be weaponized against critical voices. We demand Turkish authorities an immediate acquit of all charges against Rojda.

The journalist was detained in a police raid in 2016 for participating in the protests of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University students at different times. She was arrested later and taken to the prison in Van. After four months of pre-trial detention, she was released at her first hearing. 

The journalist was facing a prison sentence of up to seven years on charges of "being affiliated with an armed terrorist organization" and "spreading terrorist propaganda". The protests and marches that the journalist reported, as well as her social media post, secret witnesses’ claims, were considered criminal elements in the lawsuit. Allegedly, in the case file, the letter sent by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not contain any information or document on the journalist’s profession or whether she had a press card. Her institutional press card, where she worked earlier, was not accepted by the court.

Today, according to Şenol Balı from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the prosecutor submitted his final opinion to the court, and demanded the journalist be acquitted of the charge of "membership in a terrorist organization" but sought conviction on the charge of "spreading terror propaganda”. 

The defendants’ lawyers asked the court for additional time to prepare the defenses against the opinion. The court gave the defendants additional time and adjourned the next hearing until September 16, 2022.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely follows the cases filed against women journalists with great concern in Turkey. Journalists, whose professional activities are cited as a criminal charge, are punished with unfair and baseless accusations. As the coalition, we demand the Turkish authorities respect the press freedom and acquit Rojda immediately. Journalism is not a crime.

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.

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