We condemn the detention of journalists Melike Aydın and Ruken Demir
TURKEY, Istanbul, November 12, 2019 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled that Jinnews reporter Melike Aydın and Mesopotamia Agency reporter Ruken Demir being taken into custody, after their homes in Izmir were raided by Turkish authorities. We urge authorities to release our colleagues on an immediate basis.
Melike’s home in the Konak district of Izmir was raided at 6 am in the morning, after which she was taken into custody. The journalist was taken to the Provincial Security Directorate’s Anti-Terror branch. Melike was detained in handcuffs with an arrest warrant. All of her equipment, including her phone, has been confiscated.
Ruken Demir’s house in Izmir was also raided and she was taken into custody subsequently. In September 2018, she was sentenced to one year and three months of imprisonment for “propaganda for a terrorist organization” because of a social media post she shared in 2006. But she was released with the deferment of the verdict’s announcement.
With respect to their current custody, a confidentiality order was issued, following which both the detainees were banned from seeing their lawyers for 24 hours.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is closely monitoring the state of press freedom and treatment of women journalists in Turkey. We condemn all forms of restrictions on journalists, especially women journalists and urge the Turkish authorities to ensure that freedom of speech in the country is given its due space rather than suppressing those who are doing their job.
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.
For more information, please visit www.womeninjournalism.org.
Press Inquiries
Damla Tarhan
Turkey & MENA Coordinator
<damla@womeninjournalism.org>
