JinNews journalist Beritan Canözer has been released, following her detention on 25 April as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which resulted in the detention of more than 100 people, including journalists, lawyers and political party members.

Canözer, along with four other Kurdish colleagues, was arrested on allegations of "being a member of a terrorist organization." The Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court accepted the indictment related to the investigation.

After a review of her detention, the court released Canözer under judicial supervision. The court's decision took into consideration factors such as the state of evidence in the case, the potential for a change in the nature and qualifications of the alleged crime, and the lack of concrete evidence suggesting flight or tampering with evidence.

After her release, Canözer said: “Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to hold our pens in our hands. We will continue to defend our friends still in prison in our news. All of them are now being held in prison unlawfully. I want to mention especially Halise Aksoy who, despite her many health issues and regardless of her age, is being kept in prison.”

Beritan Canözer

Beritan Canözer is not the first time in the sights of Turkish justice. In 2018, a terror case was opened against her on charges of "membership in a banned organization." The prosecution demanded a prison sentence of seven and a half to 15 years, and in October 2019, the journalist was acquitted. At the age of 21, Canözer had already spent several months in prison on "suspicion of terrorism." The reason given was that she had been "nervous" during a check during curfews in Amed's Old City district of Sur in late 2015. In that context, she was sentenced to 15 months in prison the following March - allegedly for inciting banned protests. In June 2020, Canözer received a prison sentence of one year, ten months and 15 days for terror propaganda. The sentence is not yet final.