The first hearing of the law suit against Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Cemil Uğur and Adnan Bilen, Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala will be held in Van 5th High Criminal Court on April 2. MA reporter Zeynep Durgut is also on trial without arrest. The five journalists were arrested on October 9, 2020 after breaking the stroy about Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, two villagers thrown out of a military helicopter by soldiers in the Çatak district of Van. The five journalists are accused of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. Nazan Sala is also accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'. 

 

Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur sent a message to all their colleagues and called for solidarity. 

 

BİLEN: JOURNALISM IS ON TRIAL 

 

Journalist Bilen called on to all professional journalism organizations and journalists for solidarity in his weekly phone call. Drawing attention to the fact that journalism is being prosecuted in their person, Bilen said supporting them will actually be protecting the profession. Underlining that journalist should be in the field, working, not in prison, Bilen said no journalist should be prosecuted for doing their jobs. Underlining that there is nothing in the indictment to be considered a crime and that should constitude a reason for them to be in prison, Bilen said: "Hope to see you all in a free future."

 

UĞUR: THIS INDICTMENT IS A DISGRACE

 

Uğur, on the other hand, stated in his letter that they have been detained unlawfully for about 6 months and described the indictment prepared against them, a disgrace. Uğur's letter reads, "Even though they are not banned publications, the books, magazines, and the Yeni Yaşam Newspaper were defined as banned publications in the indictment. These publications are published and distributed in a very legal manner. This is ridiculous. Criminalizing Mesopotamia Agency (MA) is an irony. MA is the voice of the unheard. And I am MA's Van represantative. We are registered under Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Those who want to marginalize MA want the whole press under their command. We are the followes of the free press tradition. We don't submit to anyone or get instructed by anyone."

 

WE UNCOVERED THE UNLAWFULNESS

 

One of the things I was accused of is a phone call I made with sick prisoner Engin Aktaş's family. The Forensic Medicine Institude gave a report, saying he can not survive in prison. Accusing me of writing about this means they will not let anyone write anything they wouldn't approve. We will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the people. If they are not releasing this prisoners despite the Forensic Medicine Institude report, there is an unlawfulness there. We uncovered this unlawfulness and reported it to the public. Considering this a crime is a violation of the public's right to information."

 

THE REAL REASON IS TORTURE

 

What lies behind these arrests is that I investigated and published what happened to Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, whom we learned that they were in intensive care unit after being detained by law enforcement. According to the eyewitnesses, Şiban and Turgut were perfectly fine when they were detained and somehow ended up at the ICU after being detained. Turgut lost his life in the ICU. The torture was revealed with the statements of the witnesses, the hospital reports and the photographs we received while the two citizens were in the hospital. But the authorities made contradictory statements to cover up the incident. Instead of investigating torture, which is a crime against humanity, they tried to cover it up."

 

Being in pursuit of the facts gets us to stand against the rulers. They are constantly trying to cover these things up and we are constantly trying to uncover them. We were arrested for uncovering what they were trying to cover up. Our duty is to protect democracy, audit state institutions on behalf of the people and protect the rights and freedoms of the people. And protecting them at all costs is the most fundamental duty of us journalists. Press freedom and freedom of expression and thought are currently being discussed within the scope of the 'Human Rights Action Plan'. It is a bitter irony to talk about freedom of expression and thought as long as us, journalists are behind bars just because of our profession. We will continue to do our jobs at all costs. Because journalism is not a crime."

 

 

MA / Gökhan Altay