“Standing Still Journalist” For Justice

Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court continued the Gaye case where journalists Erdoğan, Şenoğlu, Çelebi, Namaz, Ulusoy and Çiçek are standing trial for facing prison terms from 9 years to life sentence. 

Outside the courthouse, a group of activists from Freedom to Journalists Platform (GÖP) and Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) initiated a “standing still man”, demanding freedom for jailed defendant journalists. 

The protest was also attended by Esben Orberg from European Federation of Journalists and Erol Önderoğlu from Reporters Sans Frontiers. 

“Journalism activities must be exempted from criminal charges,” TGS Istanbul branch chair  Gökhan Durmuş said. 

“One more time, we are standing at a courthouse to demand freedom for one of our colleagues. 62 of our colleagues are currently jailed in Turkey for their journalism activity. 6 of those are being charged with life sentence today. Their only crime is their journalism activity. 

“As journalists, we are once more demanding freedom for jailed journalists, we are urging the authorities to make journalism activities exempted from criminal charges.”

What happened?

In 2006 police detained several journalists within "Gaye operation”. Those detained journalists have been charged with life sentence for “forcefully changing the constitutional order”. On the other hand, journalists Erdoğan, Namaz and Çelebi have been charged with 8 years of prison for related charges. (EA/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.