We denounce Berivan Altan’s detention and ask for more transparency in the case
TURKEY, Ankara, November 26, 2019 — — Our colleague Berivan Altan was taken into custody after a raid on her house early this morning. According to CFWIJ’s sources, the Mersin 3rd Criminal Court of Peace issued an arrest warrant for her.
Berivan is a reporter with the Mesopotamia Agency. Her house in Ankara was raided by the Turkish special forces. Her flatmate Habibe Eren told us that the people in the house were still in bed when the raid began.
“Some of us were still in bed and woke up to guns in our faces. Berivan was taken into custody because of an investigation that was conducted against her in Mersin. The police didn’t inform her about what she was being charged with,” she said.
“They even searched the laundry. They were looking for something to use as evidence. They have taken Selahattin Dermirtaş and Idris Baluken’s books, which you can find in any bookstore,” she added.
Berivan’s agency has also made a statement about the detention. “Our reporter Berivan Altan was taken into custody during a police raid on her house in Ankara following the arrest warrant issued by Mersin 3rd Criminal Court of Peace. An investigation file was opened against her on November 24. She is being taken to Mersin now,” it read.
According to the agency, Berivan has been banned from seeing her lawyer for 24 hours. Her investigation file also has a limitation decision, meaning that its contents are being hidden for the time.
We urge the authorities to conduct themselves with more transparency. That our colleague has been taken into custody without a clear reason, and denied access to her lawyer, is absurd.
This new spat of arrests and detentions taking place in Turkey only put the country in a negative light. The fact that Berivan’s books have been taken in as evidence also goes to show that the investigation is grasping at straws. We advise the authorities to let freedom of the press prevail.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is monitoring the situation in Turkey and will continue to provide updates on the situation.
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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 about the Coalition, please visit www.womeninjournalism.org.
CONTACT:
Press Inquiries
Luavut Zahid
Global Coordinator
luavut@womeninjournalism.org
Damla Tarhan
Turkey & MENA Coordinator
damla@womeninjournalism.org
