Turkish Journalism Behind Bars
Turkey has now locked up almost twice as many journalists as Iran and China, mostly on the basis of the country’s anti-terrorism laws. Such a situation is intolerable anywhere, but particularly in a democracy that seeks EU membership, and that recognizes freedom of expression as a fundamental right.
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VIENNA – In a study released in early April, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, reported that 57 journalists are currently in prison in Turkey, mostly on the basis of the country’s anti-terrorism laws. With 11 more Turkish journalists also facing charges, the total number could soon double the records of Iran and China, each of which reportedly held 34 journalists in prison in December 2010. Indeed, Mijatović estimated that another 700-1,000 proceedings against journalists remain ongoing.