Free Journalists Initiative (OGI) announced its report on right violations against journalists for the month of August.

The report said; “Journalists are getting detained, imprisoned and sentenced in Turkey every month. Pressures against journalists hit the peak in the month of August when 15 journalists were taken into custody while covering incidents as public opposition witnessed an increase. Journalists faced repeated obstructions, they were subjected to investigations and lawsuits. Access to hundreds of news articles was blocked.”

146 JOURNALISTS BEHIND BARS

Calling for an end to the arbitrary and unlawful repression against the press, the report continued; “146 journalists are still imprisoned in Turkey. If the government claims Turkey to be a democratic country respecting law, it must release the imprisoned journalists and end the pressures against journalists at once.”

TALLY FOR AUGUST

According to the report, 15 journalists were taken into custody in August, while 2 were subjected to investigations, 5 others to lawsuits, 1 journalist was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison, access to 700 news articles was denied, flat of 1 journalist was raided, 2 journalists were battered, 1 journalist was targeted by an armed attack and 1 journalist quitted work due to repression.

Pointing out the obstruction of journalists in Van, Mardin, Amed and Istanbul, OGI also reported that the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has been authorized to impose censorship on online radios and televisions.