Bilen and Uğur: We should be on the field, not in prison

  • actual
  • 12:25 31 March 2021
  • |
img

VAN - Stating that they are behind bars for revealing the torture, Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur whose first hearing will be held on Friday said: "Journalist should be working in the field, not in prison."

 
The first hearing of the law suit against Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Cemil Uğur and Adnan Bilen, Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala will be held in Van 5th High Criminal Court on April 2. MA reporter Zeynep Durgut is also on trial without arrest. The five journalists were arrested on October 9, 2020 after breaking the stroy about Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, two villagers thrown out of a military helicopter by soldiers in the Çatak district of Van. The five journalists are accused of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. Nazan Sala is also accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'. 
 
Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur sent a message to all their colleagues and called for solidarity. 
 
BİLEN: JOURNALISM IS ON TRIAL 
 
Journalist Bilen called on to all professional journalism organizations and journalists for solidarity in his weekly phone call. Drawing attention to the fact that journalism is being prosecuted in their person, Bilen said supporting them will actually be protecting the profession. Underlining that journalist should be in the field, working, not in prison, Bilen said no journalist should be prosecuted for doing their jobs. Underlining that there is nothing in the indictment to be considered a crime and that should constitude a reason for them to be in prison, Bilen said: "Hope to see you all in a free future."
 
UĞUR: THIS INDICTMENT IS A DISGRACE
 
Uğur, on the other hand, stated in his letter that they have been detained unlawfully for about 6 months and described the indictment prepared against them, a disgrace. Uğur's letter reads, "Even though they are not banned publications, the books, magazines, and the Yeni Yaşam Newspaper were defined as banned publications in the indictment. These publications are published and distributed in a very legal manner. This is ridiculous. Criminalizing Mesopotamia Agency (MA) is an irony. MA is the voice of the unheard. And I am MA's Van represantative. We are registered under Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Those who want to marginalize MA want the whole press under their command. We are the followes of the free press tradition. We don't submit to anyone or get instructed by anyone."
 
WE UNCOVERED THE UNLAWFULNESS
 
One of the things I was accused of is a phone call I made with sick prisoner Engin Aktaş's family. The Forensic Medicine Institude gave a report, saying he can not survive in prison. Accusing me of writing about this means they will not let anyone write anything they wouldn't approve. We will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the people. If they are not releasing this prisoners despite the Forensic Medicine Institude report, there is an unlawfulness there. We uncovered this unlawfulness and reported it to the public. Considering this a crime is a violation of the public's right to information."
 
THE REAL REASON IS TORTURE
 
What lies behind these arrests is that I investigated and published what happened to Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, whom we learned that they were in intensive care unit after being detained by law enforcement. According to the eyewitnesses, Şiban and Turgut were perfectly fine when they were detained and somehow ended up at the ICU after being detained. Turgut lost his life in the ICU. The torture was revealed with the statements of the witnesses, the hospital reports and the photographs we received while the two citizens were in the hospital. But the authorities made contradictory statements to cover up the incident. Instead of investigating torture, which is a crime against humanity, they tried to cover it up."
 
Being in pursuit of the facts gets us to stand against the rulers. They are constantly trying to cover these things up and we are constantly trying to uncover them. We were arrested for uncovering what they were trying to cover up. Our duty is to protect democracy, audit state institutions on behalf of the people and protect the rights and freedoms of the people. And protecting them at all costs is the most fundamental duty of us journalists. Press freedom and freedom of expression and thought are currently being discussed within the scope of the 'Human Rights Action Plan'. It is a bitter irony to talk about freedom of expression and thought as long as us, journalists are behind bars just because of our profession. We will continue to do our jobs at all costs. Because journalism is not a crime."
 
 
MA / Gökhan Altay

View More Articles

14/10/2021
15:38 MED TUHAD-FED calls for awareness for violations of rights in prisons
15:37 Application for meeting from Öcalan's lawyers
15:36 Graveyard attacks move to UN
15:35 'Demand of Baybars on death fast must be met'
15:34 Erdogan turned his route back to Northern and Eastern Syria
13/10/2021
14:14 MEBYA-DER: Bodies of HPG members not released to families despite DNA match
14:13 Case against Demirtaş for 'insulting' Davutoğlu, postponed
14:13 Statement by Çavuşoğlu on Syria
10:06 Historian Malyshev: Armenia is not to accept the situation in Karabakh
11/10/2021
17:09 Journalist threatened with death by police: Police repression against journalists in Ankara is chronic
16:29 Indictment prepared for killer of HDP's Deniz Poyraz
16:28 Peace Mothers march to Pêşxabur to claim the bodies of their children
13:59 Şenyaşar family: Justice requires responsibility and conscience
12:23 Syria Foreign Minister Mikdad: It is time for the occupation of Turkey to end
12:23 Iraqi Prime Minister Kazimi: Baghdadi's right hand man captured
12:22 Fatma Öcalan: We want to meet with my brother
11:06 Allegation regarding Turkey's usage of chemical weapons gets stronger
11:05 Either the perpetrators are 'unknown' or their deaths are 'in accordance with the law'
09/10/2021
18:39 Mass torture in Urfa No 2 Type T Prison
16:25 Chemical weapons used in Werxelê: 5 HPG members killed
14:57 Şenyaşar Family's sit in enters day 215
12:47 Lawyers of Dedeoğulları: It has been proven with documents that it is a racist attack
12:47 HDP: HDP: Free life option for Turkey held in captivity in Imrali
12:46 6th anniversary of October 10 Massacre: Our cause is creating an environment we can live under democratic conditions
11:22 US forces withdrawing from Iraq
11:21 Conspiracy in its 23rd year: Öcalan frustrated all political interventions
07/10/2021
13:39 Şenyaşar Family demanding justice for 213 days
13:37 KDP detains HDP Hewlér Representatives
13:36 Man loses his life before he sees his son in prison for the last 15 years
13:35 MGKP: We continue to write with the brave pen of Gurbetelli Ersöz
11:20 Court sends two Boğaziçi University students to prison after complaint by trustee
10:41 Journalist Salaz: We will not be surprised if we see the Turkmens in the operations
10:11 Despite assurances given to ECtHR, file was closed
06/10/2021
15:05 New investigation against Ferit Şenyaşar
15:05 Turkish police detain 200 in raids against paper collectors in Istanbul
15:04 Forestry Directorate claims it cut trees on orders of soldiers
11:26 Police forces detainees to stone HDP building for their release
10:27 Unrest at Kobané border!
05/10/2021
13:44 Bodies of Kurdish fighters brought to cemetery in armoured vehicles, buried en masse!
13:03 From Europe to Middle East women stress they stand with their sisters in Afghanistan
04/10/2021
14:50 PKS visits Şenyaşar Family
14:49 Shengal Autonomous Administration: We do not recognize those who do not recognize the will of the people
14:48 Documents arranged for border traders as if they were armed
02/10/2021
13:52 Gewriye from MSD delegation: We asked for support for political solution in Syria
13:51 People of Shengal take to the streets amid military activity
13:51 Şenyaşar family: It is our duty to provide a just life to future generations
12:20 Vartinis Massacre: I lived to defend their lives
12:20 Shephard lost his sheep in Turkish bombardment threatened with 'chemical gas'
01/10/2021
14:51 New application submitted by Öcalan's attorneys, family and guardian
14:50 Şenyaşar family calls on to parliament: Provide justice