DİYARBAKIR - Free Journalists Initiative (ÖGİ) has released its Report on the Media Violation in February, 2018. The initiative has announced that three journalists were jailed and 16 journalists were detained in February.

 

Free Journalists Initiative (ÖGİ) has released its Report on the Media Violation in February, 2018. The Kurdish report was read by journalist Fatime Tekin and the Turkish report was read by ÖGİ spokesperson Hakkı Boltan.

 

‘The judgement is at the ruling power’s service’

 

Pointing out the pressures on the press, the report says, “One of these is the aggravated life imprisonment given to Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak. This sentence enrolls the unlimited hostility of the AKP/MHP against the journalism. The court proves how it is at the ruling power’s service by sentencing Ahmet, Mehmet and Nazlı to aggravated life imprisonment. “

 

‘Journalists are being held as hostage’

 

The report emphasizes that German citizen, journalist Deniz Yücel has been released as part of a bargain and the reports continues as follows; “The second one is the decision on Deniz Yücel. This decision shows that the journalists are a hostage against freedom.”

 

171 journalists behind bars

 

The Media Violation in February prepared by the ÖGİ is as follows;

 

*171 journalists are still behind bars

 

*16 journalists were detained

 

*3 journalists were jailed

 

*Lawsuit opened against a journalist

 

*3 journalists have been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment

 

*37 journalists were tried

 

*6 news websites were blocked to access by Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). Website of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi Newspaper were blocked to access for 16th time website of Jin News was blocked to access for eighth time; website of 1 Habervar was blockaded to access onece, the website of Mezopotamya News Agency were blocked to access seventh time.