Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Turkey: Release of seven Cumhuriyet journalists small victory as their colleagues continue to languish in jail DONATE

Turkey: Release of seven Cumhuriyet journalists small victory as their colleagues continue to languish in jail

 
In response to the court’s ruling earlier this evening to conditionally release seven of the 12 imprisoned Cumhuriyet staff and the continuation of the pre-trial detention of five others, John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Director of Europe and Central Asia, said:
“While the news of the release of seven Cumhuriyet journalists and others, is a positive step forward, we are dismayed at the continued imprisonment of Ahmet Şık, Kadri Gürsel, Akın Atalay, Murat Sabuncu and Ahmet Kemal Aydoğdu.
“The hearing so far has made it glaringly apparent that this indictment lacks any credible evidence. Strikingly, it mentions the word ‘news’ more than 600 times. Plain and simple, this is journalism on trial.
 
Background:
The trial of the 17 Cumhuriyet journalists, executives and lawyers, of whom 12 have been held in pre-trial detention since last year, began on Monday 24 July in Istanbul.
 
The court also ruled to lift the restrictions on meetings between those imprisoned and their lawyers, which have been limited to an hour per week.
Cumhuriyet staff and others languishing in jail will see their cases considered in the European Court of Human Rights in the next few months.
The next hearing in the case will take place on 11 September.
 
For more information, please contact Sue Montgomery, media relations for Amnesty International Canada, at 613-744-7667 ext. 236 or smontgomery@amnesty.ca

Topics:

Share:

Take Action

A child's boot in a pond

Bill C-2 threatens people’s right to seek safety in Canada

Illustration of black man behind a tablet with a mask on it

Make it safe online for LGBTQQIA+ people in Uganda

Tell President Trump No Mass Deportations!

HOPE STARTS HERE

In a world that too often divides us, we choose solidarity.

Latest news

Related news