Journalist murders double in 2020; Criminal and extremist groups target reporters in democracies
The number of journalists murdered in retaliation for their work more than doubled in 2020 as criminal gangs and militant groups targeted reporters working in violent but democratic nations. Globally, at least 30 journalists were killed of December 15, 2020. Of those, 21 were murdered in direct retaliation for their work, compared with 10 in…
Murders of journalists more than double worldwide
Retaliatory killings of journalists worldwide rose significantly in 2020 from the previous year, but deaths covering war dropped sharply. A CPJ special report by Jennifer Dunham December 22, 2020 NEW YORK The number of journalists murdered in retaliation for their work more than doubled in 2020, as criminal gangs and militant groups targeted reporters working…
Nedim Şener
Şener, a columnist for the daily Posta and author of two books detailing the 2007 assassination of journalist Hrant Dink, went on trial in late year on charges of aiding the Ergenekon conspiracy, an alleged nationalist military plot to overthrow the government. Şener said he believes the charges were retaliation for his work on the…
Ercan Gün
Ercan Gün, a news editor for Turkish Fox TV, was detained on July 29, 2016 on terrorism charges and for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to blame the Turkish military for the 2007 murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Gün was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March 2021. Police in Istanbul detained…
Bayram Kaya
Bayram Kaya is one of several journalists imprisoned after the failed 2016 coup attempt. During a joint trial in 2018, he was found guilty of membership of a terrorist organization. The journalist will be eligible for parole in March 2020, according to his family and lawyer. Police in Istanbul detained Kaya, a former reporter for…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 19, 2017
Security forces detain reporter in southeastern Turkey Security forces in the southeastern province of Mardin today detained Dihaber reporter Murat Verim, the news agency reported. Dihaber said the arrest was part of an ongoing terrorism investigation.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of August 21
Kurdish wire reporter, newspaper employee arraigned on terrorism charges A court in Turkey’s eastern Van Province today arraigned Erdem Mühirci, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency (DİHA), and ordered him jailed, pending trial, on charges of “being a member of a [terrorist] organization” and “recruiting members for a [terrorist] organization,” DİHA reported. Mühirci…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of July 31
Court indicts 12 media workers on terrorism charges An Istanbul court last night indicted 12 journalists on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization — the Hizmet movement, which the Turkish government classes as a terrorist group and alleges orchestrated a failed military coup on July 15 – Turkey’s official Anatolia news agency…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of July 24
At least 48 journalists detained in one week Police in Turkey detained at least 48 journalists in the past week, according to the independent news website P24 and the Twitter account of Ben Gazeteciyim, a volunteer association of Turkish journalists formed to show solidarity with their threatened colleagues. At the time of publication, 21 of…