Four journalists formally arrested after mass raid in Diyarbakır

A Diyarbakır court has formally arrested four of the journalists detained in mass raids in Diyarbakır earlier this week. Meanwhile, 97 NGOs, trade bodies and professional organizations in the city expressed their concerns with regards to election safety and called for the release of detained individuals.

Thursday April 27 2023 05:45 pm

Duvar English

A court on April 27 formally arrested four journalists after they were detained in mass raids centered in the Kurdish-majority province of Diyarbakır.

Journalist Abdurrahman Gök slammed the arrest decision by saying: “Fascism will be beaten, long live free press.”

As part of an investigation run by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, detention warrants were issued by 216 Kurdish activists, journalists, lawyers and politicians. On April 25, some 128 of them were detained and interrogated.

Meanwhile, 97 NGOs, trade bodies and professional organizations in Diyarbakır released a joint statement with regards to the mass raids, saying their concerns with regards to the election safety increased. “The abuse and preventions that were formed through the judiciary means, especially during the election campaign period, have unfortunately increased our concerns with regards to election safety,” they said on April 27.

“We once again emphasize that the necessary measures be taken for democratic elections in which none of us are discriminated and in which we can use the right to elect and be elected in a more effective and equal way,” they said, calling on the authorities to immediately release the detainees.