|
Reporters Without Borders today condemned the
detention of a journalist of Kurdish origin for
allegedly possessing video footage of members of
group linked to the outlawed PKK (Kurdistan Workers'
Party).
Birol Duru, a correspondent with the pro-Kurdish
news agency DIHA (Tiger), and Daimi Açig, a member
of the Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD), were
arrested by local police in Dibarbey, a village in
the eastern province of Bingöl, on 10 August and
were subsequently placed in custody in Bingöl
prison.
"We are very concerned about this new attack on
press freedom in Turkey, which is the second case of
journalists being arbitrarily arrested in less than
two weeks," the organisation said, calling for the
immediate release of both Duru and Açig.
When detained, Duru was investigating cannabis
trafficking in Bingöl, including allegations that
Yedisu police chief Ahmet Yanaral is involved in the
trafficking. Duru and Açig were accused of
"collaborating with the PKK" when they appeared
before a prosecutor and a judge in Karliova on 12
August. Duru believes he is the victim of a
conspiracy, in part because he brought a complaint
against Yanaral some time ago, accusing him of
making threats against him.
Serhat Atli, the lawyer acting for the two
detainees, filed a request for the lifting of their
detention order with the Bingöl provincial court on
15 August. The court is due to give its decision on
19 August.
Atli and Duru's agency, DIHA, also maintain that he
is the victim of a conspiracy by the regional
authorities. They also said the arrests were illegal
because "the report on what was found in Duru's bag
was not drawn up in the presence of a witness and
because they do not have the evidence to justify
holding them in custody."
www.rsf.org
Top |
® 