DİYARBAKIR - Announcing the September 2021 Report on Rights Violations Against Journalists, DFG pointed out that violations of rights against journalists have increased and stated that six journalists were sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison.

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association (DFG) announced its September 2021 Report on Rights Violations Against Journalists. In the report, it was emphasized that the government imagines a journalist profile that does not see, hear, write or announce, and that even in countries with minimal freedom, journalists have certain rights and life chances, but it is not possible to talk about this in Turkey.

 

‘Concerns are rising’

 

In the report, it was pointed out that the efforts to multiply censorship with legal regulations as well as violations of rights and pressures increased the concerns, and said: ‘’We know very well how the bill of law, which is expected to come to the agenda of the parliament and includes regulations for digital media, will cause damage in this area. With the previous legal regulations, journalists and press organizations were almost unable to speak. The new regulation to be made will further reinforce this negative situation.’’

 

50 journalists were tried

 

The report, which states that there are many journalists against whom investigations and lawsuits are filed, included the following information: ‘’Only in September, 50 journalists appeared before judge for their news and thoughts and were tried. Six of them were sentenced to 27 years and three imprisonment. However, censorship is one of the most notable violations in September. In particular, the penalties imposed on broadcasting organizations by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) and the Press Advertising Agency (BIK), which work as censorship boards, prove how censorship works. Again, the penalties imposed on some news portals by the courts regarding internet access blocking trampled on the rights and freedoms. Among the nine websites that have been blocked, the five bans on Jinnews, Turkey’s only women news agency, show how dire the situation is. In addition, we can see that internet sites that are not closed directly are tried to be silenced by placing an access block on their news.’’

 

27 years 3 months prison sentence to 6 journalists

 

DFG stated that there are still many journalists in prisons and they have suffered from the violations of rights there, and called for an end to the violations against imprisoned journalists. The report, which states that the number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey as of October 5, is 63. The followings were included, in September; five journalists were detained, one journalist was arrested, three journalists were attacked, news follow-up of journalists was prevented in 15 incidents, six journalists were investigated, seven journalists were prosecuted, six journalists were sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison, 50 journalists were prosecuted in 33 files , violations against twı journalists took place in prison, three newspapers were punished to 100 days of advertising, six channels were sentenced to seven penalties by RTUK, access to 37 websites -28 of which are news- has been blocked and seven journalists were fired.