In an interim order İstanbul court denied lawyers' request for recusal of journalist Mehmet Baransu from the court. The committee adjourned the 36th hearing of the case against Yasemin Çongar and four other executives of the now shut Taraf newspaper till November 12, 2021. The verdict was expected to be announced tomorrow (October 19). Four former executives including Yasemin are on trial for “disclosing classified information”. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the lawsuits against journalists that cast a shadow on the free press. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime and demand the immediate acquittal of Yasemin.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is concerned over Beijing’s move to ban private investment in news media amid stringent regulations already in place. We are cognizant of the state’s control and interference in the country’s existing media landscape and have been monitoring the situation. The CFWIJ urges Beijing to drop plans to ban non-state investment (private companies) in the establishing, operations or broadcasting of news agencies, newspapers, radio or television stations and related events.

Four years ago today, on October 16, 2017, Malta’s renowned journalist Daphne Caruana Galiza was assassinated by a powerful car bomb outside her Bidnjia home. Since then, seven men have been arrested or implicated for their involvement in the cold-blooded killing, five of them have entered some sort of plea bargain, and a public inquiry report has held the state responsible. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) has documented the ongoing investigation and trials. We demand legal action against the masterminds, killers and facilitators, of all involved, in the pre-meditated murder. Four years on, we honour the legacy of Malta’s “one-woman WikiLeaks”.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin made sexist remarks against CNBC journalist Hadley Gamble during an interview. Putin implied that Hadley was too “pretty” to understand policy changes regarding the recent gas shortage in Europe. When pushed on the question, Putin displayed visible annoyance, adopting a pointedly rude demeanor. The sexist behaviour at the meeting was further amplified the next day when a Russian newspaper published a picture of Hadley alongside Putin, which clearly objectified her.

Gazeteci Hazal Ocak ve Sonya Bayık hakkında mesleki faaliyetleri nedeniyle açılan davalar mahkeme kararıyla yine ertelendi. Hazal Ocak’ın ve Sonya Bayık’ın bir sonraki duruşmaları sırasıyla 8 Şubat 2022 ve 10 Şubat 2022 tarihinde görülecek. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu (CFWIJ), gazetecileri susturmak ve sindirmek amacıyla uygulanan politikalara son verilmesini talep ediyor. Gazeteciler, kamuoyunu ilgilendiren gelişmeleri haber yaptıkları ve gazetecilik haklarını kullandıkları için yargılanıyor. Söz konusu yargılamalar kabul edilemez. Gazetecilik suç değildir.

Cases lodged against journalists Hazal Ocak and Sonya Bayık , prompted by their critical reporting, met with further delays on Thursday as separate courts postponed their hearings till February 8 and February 10, 2022, respectively. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) demands an end to legal harassment of journalists in attempts to intimidate them into silence. In both cases, the journalists face trial for exercising their journalistic right to report on matters of public interest.

Journalists Lisa Noyal and Rémi-Kenzo Pagès were restricted from questioning Mayor of Aubervilliers, Karine Francelet regarding a demolition project in her region of jurisdiction. Francelet’s security team threatened legal action and destroyed the journalists’ property for merely attempting to do their job. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. The journalists have also been previously discouraged from pursuing the story and the constant attempts to silence the noise around the issue now appears extremely concerning.

On the same day that Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize was announced, the Russian authorities added the names of eight journalists alongside several news media organizations to its “foreign agent” list. Four among these eight journalists are women. The controversial foreign agent law adopted by the Russian Ministry of Justice places journalists and news media organizations under intense financial surveillance and scrutiny and has long been criticized for being a means to silence the press. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces this move by the Russian authorities.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns police’s attack on Italian journalist Flavia Amabile while she was covering a protest in Rome against Covid-19 vaccinations and mandatory health pass.

A magistrate court slapped a five-year stalking order on far-right, islamophobic public personality Tommy Robinson on Wednesday after he threatened and abused journalist Lizzie Dearden outside her home. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) lauds the court’s decision to reprimand Robinson for his actions. We rejoice in the knowledge that the journalist’s safety and wellbeing was prioritized and Robinson’s efforts to deter Lizzie from her reportage were thwarted.

Gazeteci Derya Okatan’ın “zincirleme şekilde örgüt propagandası yapmak” suçlamasıyla yargılandığı davanın ilk duruşması bugün görüldü. Mahkeme, gazeteci hakkında süren davaların birleştirilip birleştirilemeyeceği konusunda yazı yazılmasına karar verdi. Bir sonraki duruşma 26 Ocak 2022’de görülecek.

The first hearing of the trial against journalist Derya Okatan over the charges of "spreading propaganda for an organization in a chain" was held today. The court decided to issue a writ to inquire about the merger of already ongoing cases against Derya. The next hearing will be held on January 26, 2022.

Jinnews muhabiri Rojda Aydın, gazeteciler Halime Parlak, Nurcan Yalçın ve beş kişi hakkında “Kanuna Aykırı Toplantı ve Yürüyüşlere Silahsız katılarak İhtara Rağmen Kendiliğinden Dağılmama” suçlamasıyla yargılandıkları davanın ikinci duruşması bugün Mardin’de görüldü. Dosyaya atanan geçici savcının mütalaasını hazırlaması için süre verilmesine karar verildi. Bir sonraki duruşma 20 Ekim’de görülecek.

The second hearing of the trial against journalists Rojda Aydın, Nurcan Yalçın, and Halime Parlak over the charges with ‘being participants in a prohibited gathering, defying police orders to disband’ was held today in Mardin. The court has decided to send the case file to the prosecution to prepare its opinion as to the merits of the case. The next hearing will be held on October 20, 2021.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses serious concerns about the safety of women journalists covering a protest in Serb-majority Kosovo city, North Mitrovica. At least five women journalists, among others were attacked by protesters with rocks, Molotov cocktails and pyrotechnic devices.