DİYARBAKIR - CFWIJ condemned the ill-treatment of journalist Beritan Canözer, who was in custody, and demanded her immediate release. 

 

The written statement of the Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) is as follows: 

 

"Jin News reporter Beritan Canözer, who remains under custody since April 5, is being threatened and mistreated. The journalist and 21 women, who are being detained, were threatened by the police. Reportedly, detainees had also great problems reaching their basic needs. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns these inhumane treatments and demands the immediate release of our colleague Beritan Canözer.

 

According to Jin News, journalist Beritan Canözer and 21 women, who were taken to custody on April 5th, were threatened by the police. Reportedly, one of the detainees wanted to leave the door open, where they were kept, due to a health problem. However, police kept it closed and threatened women saying, "If you even try knocking on the door, I will teach you humanity.”

 

Among the information reported, there are sound and video recording cameras placed in the corridor where 22 women were kept, and claiming police will be subject to criminal proceedings based on this. Also, women did not accept the meals given after the police threat. Detainees including Beritan are also facing major problems of basic needs. 

 

Speaking to the CFWIJ, Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) Spokesperson Ayşe Güney explained the detention process of journalist Beritan Canözer. Güney said, "The detention of Beritan is a continuation of the struggle, gains and the attacks against the women's press, which have long been jointly carried out by women.” Emphasizing that the applied pressures will not prevent journalism, Ayşe added, “We are writing the just struggles of women and we will continue to do so. Beritan has been a journalist in this region for years.” “She faced all kinds of pressure over and over again, and she never backed down. She gave us strength and courage with her stance. It is great illegitimacy to be in custody now, it is intimidation,” she continued. Adding that Beritan should be released immediately. 

 

Beritan Canözer, who is consistently targeted by the Turkish state, is a journalist based in south-east Turkey. She was legally persecuted many times nearly over the last decade. 

 

On June 28, 2019, Beritan was detained due to covering a protest in 2015. She was first jailed under the accusation that she was a member of a terror organization and was acting under the instructions of senior executives of the organization on December 19, 2015. The second hearing of the case took place on June 26, 2019, in Diyarbakır. The prosecutor asked that she be sentenced to seven-and-a-half to fifteen years in prison. The decision was postponed to October 2019. However, she was acquitted later by the court. 

 

In 2020, another lawsuit was filed against Beritan about her social media posts. The prosecution requested a prison sentence against Beritan for “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization” on social media. In the third hearing of the case against her, the court ruled one year, ten months and 15 days sentence in prison. 

 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the mistreatment that the detained journalist Beritan is facing now. We urge police to end violence against the journalist and all other women who are also under custody and we demand all the essential needs fulfilled immediately. We call the Turkish state to release Beritan immediately. Journalism is not a crime."