Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) announced its August Rights Violations Report. According to the report published on the website of the association; 2 journalists were ill-treated, 6 journalists were threatened, 2 journalists were attacked, 1 journalist was prevented from following the news in August.

 

According to the report, 3 journalists were investigated, 4 journalists were prosecuted, 1 journalist was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison. 35 journalists are still in prison, 16 journalists remained unemployed, 3 programs were suspended by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and 2 channels were given administrative fines. The report emphasized that 10 broadcast bans were issued in August, 6 websites were shut down, 401 news articles were blocked and 88 virtual media content was blocked.

 

The report stated that journalists Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn lost their lives in the attack carried out by Turkey on August 23 in Seyîdsadik district of Silêmaniyê city in Federated Kurdistan Region. Emphasizing that the AKP-MHP government's attacks on freedom of expression and thought intensified in August, the report said: “The government, which carried the war against the Kurds to Federated Kurdistan, implemented a comprehensive repression policy against journalists with its partner KDP in Federated Kurdistan. While attacks against journalists intensified in July with the cooperation of the KDP, on August 23, Turkey bombed a civilian vehicle inside the borders of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq. Sulaymaniyah-based news agency Rojnews reported that journalists Hêro Bahadîn and Gulistan Tara were killed in the attack. The murder of the journalists was met with reaction in many parts of the world, especially in Kurdistan. The protests called on international organizations to take responsibility against these attacks by Turkey.” 

 

The report emphasized that journalists protested against the massacre of Tara and Bahadîn in many places, especially in Amed and Istanbul, and stated: “The protest organized by journalists in Amed was attacked by the police and many journalists were beaten. Despite all the attacks, the murder of two journalists was protested and the message was given that the Free Press will never remain silent in the face of all these attacks, that the Free Press will raise its voice even stronger and that the rights of journalists will be defended to the end.”

 

'CENSORSHIP CONTINUED'

 

The report reminded that Instagram, which has millions of users, was shut down on the second day of August, and that the platform was reopened after negotiations between the company and Turkish authorities. The report pointed to the impact of the policy against the Kurds on the closure of virtual media platforms and said: “Turkey has made censorship a bargaining chip against the Kurds, making it part of the attack on the Kurdish people's space for thought and expression.”

 

The report emphasized that during the process of Instagram's closure, Roblox was banned from access on the grounds that it “contained content that could lead to the abuse of children” and made the following assessment: “Due to the judiciary being on judicial vacation, many news websites and X accounts were banned from access by court decisions on duty in August, even though there was no trial in the judicial field. It should be noted that many of the news articles that were blocked were news about AKP figures. It was as if the corruption and rights violations committed by AKP figures were censored by the judiciary and the truth was tried to be hidden from the public.”

 

TV CHANNELS PENALIZED

 

The report reminded that 401 news articles were banned from access in August, 6 websites, including the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), were banned from access altogether, and Yeni Yaşam newspaper and 88 virtual media content, including journalists, were banned from access. The report stated that RTÜK fined many TV channels for the programs they broadcast.

 

35 JOURNALISTS IN PRISON 

 

August Rights Violations are as follows:  “While 2 journalists were subjected to ill-treatment, 6 journalists were threatened. While 1 journalist was prevented from following the news, 2 journalists were attacked. 3 journalists were investigated and 4 journalists were prosecuted. 1 journalist was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison. 35 journalists are still in prison. 16 journalists remained unemployed. RTÜK suspended 3 programs and fined 2 channels. 10 broadcast bans were issued. 6 websites were shut down, 401 news articles were banned from access and 88 virtual media content was banned from access.”