In Istanbul, 13 journalists were arrested in the operation against the Free Press in the last month. 13 journalists were arrested by the same judge.

 

Journalists Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Ahmet Güneş, Welat Ekin, Vedat Örüç and Reyhan Hacıoğlu, who were detained in house raids on 17 January as part of an Istanbul based investigation, were arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on the allegation of "membership in an illegal organization". A month ago (20 December), 7 journalists who protested the killing of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin while they were following the attacks of Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) on North and East Syria, were arrested by the same judge on 22 December on charges of "making propaganda for an illegal organization" and "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911".

 

Şükrü Alpsoy, a member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), made evaluations on the arrest of the journalists.

 

'THE JUDGE LISTENED PROCEDURALLY'

 

Lawyer Şükrü Alpsoy, who was present during the journalists' proceedings at the judge's office, pointed out that the judge, who was "prejudiced", did not ask the journalists any questions. Alpsoy added, "The judge's intention was clear. The judge was procedurally listening because their decision was clear. I had experience because I was the same judge who had issued an arrest warrant for 7 journalists who had participated in a statement in Şişhane a month ago against the murder of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin. This judge had told 7 journalists 'you are going to prison'. To 6 journalists the judge said 'you are arrested'. At least the judge used a legal term. The judge copied and pasted the prosecutor's referral for arrest and used it as a reason for arrest. The clients were supposed to be referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace. Only that procedure was carried out. We will appeal against the arrest decision. The essence of the press files is the intimidation policies of the government. News reports and programmes presented by journalists have been included in the files. Judges and prosecutors know that there is no offence in the press files. The aim is to intimidate the press and make them take a step back. The judges give the image of 'If you cannot do journalism within the limits we set, you will be arrested if you do'. But if no one took a step back when 7 of our journalist friends were arrested, the arrest of 6 of our journalist friends will not make anyone take a step back."

 

MA / Ömer İbrahimoğlu