The International Delegation of Lawyers Against Isolation, which is in Turkey to hold various meetings, visited Amed on Wednesday, 28 February, after some meetings in Istanbul.

Today, Thursday, the delegation met with Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) co-chair Serdar Altan, Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) co-chair Roza Metina and members of the association.

Speaking at the meeting, DFG co-chair Serdar Altan informed the Delegation about the activities of the association and the pressures they are exposed to.

Altan said: “As members of the free press, we feel responsible for bringing the problems experienced in the Kurdish issue to the public. We are subjected to serious pressure and violence when announcing the facts to the public. Today, 44 journalists are still in prison for their journalistic activities."

Altan added: "Despite these pressures, the free press continues to stand up and write," and handed over the last one-year rights violations report prepared by the association.

MKG co-chair Roza Metina underlined that 10 female journalists are currently in prison, and said: "We established MKG to create an alternative to the dominant sexist discourse in the media. The pool media under the control of AKP-MHP increases violence against women by using sexist language."

Providing information about their work, Roza Metina said that they attach importance to women-oriented journalism, organize workshops in this direction and provide legal support to women journalists.

After the meeting, the delegation went to Diyarbakır Courthouse to follow the trial of detained DFG co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu.