We welcome the release of journalist Meltem Oktay
TURKEY, ISTANBUL, October 25, 2019 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the release of Meltem Oktay, a reporter for the closed Dicle News Agency.
Meltem was arrested on charges of being members of a terrorist organization after the coverage during the time of curfews in Turkey. She has been released after a successful objection was lodged by her lawyer against her arrest during the last trial today.
Turkish authorities took Meltem in custody on April 12, 2016, during a house raid. She was subsequently arrested on April 15. She received a four-year sentence for alleged “membership to a terrorist organisation”. However, she was released during the second hearing of her trial on August 18 the same year.
Our colleague was yet again arrested in 2017 for reporting during the curfews at the time of the emergency in Nusaybin, Mardin. She was sentenced to two years and four months for “creating propaganda for the outlawed Kurdish group PKK”. Evidence used against her revolved around things she had published on social media. Meltem was jailed in Gebze Women’s Closed Prison.
While we are glad that our colleague has been freed, we also strongly urge the Turkish authorities to release other imprisoned women journalists who have only performed their duties as journalists. No journalist deserves to be put behind bars for their work.
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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
CFWIJ Turkey & MENA Coordinator
<damla@womeninjournalism.org>
