Deniz Tekin
Journalist Zeynep Durgut, along with 17 women, has been charged following her arrest while covering a demonstration against violence towards women in Şırnak, Turkey. The demonstration, held on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, was forcefully dispersed by police at Ömer Kabak Square. Durgut, a reporter for Mezopotamya Agency (MA), and other journalists, including Ömer Akın and Rozerin Gültekin from JINNEWS, were detained while reporting on the event, and their tripods and cameras were reportedly damaged.
The Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against Durgut and the women participants, accusing them of "Participating in an Unlawful Assembly and Demonstration without Dispersing Despite Warnings". The indictment mentioned that all public gatherings, demonstrations, and press statements were banned in the city from November 22 to 28, 2023, under a decision by the Şırnak Governorship. The accused reportedly admitted their actions but denied any criminal intent.
The indictment focused on the women's participation in the demonstration and chanting slogans, specifically noting that Zilan Yaman and Güler Yarbasan engaged with the police, with Yarbasan reportedly hitting a police shield. The prosecutor ignored the allegations and medical reports of police brutality, where the women claimed they were thrown to the ground, dragged, stepped on, beaten, handcuffed, left in a confined space in a vehicle, and subjected to verbal abuse.
Despite these claims, the prosecutor found the police response to be 'proportionate,' arguing that the injuries sustained by the women were minor and resulted from the lawful execution of police duties under the Police Duties and Authorities Law (PVSK) Article 16.
The first hearing of the case is scheduled for March 22, 2024, in the Şırnak Court of First Instance. The Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has dropped the charges against the other two detained journalists, Akın and Gültekin.
Durgut, speaking about her experience, alleged that the police first prevented journalists from filming before violently intervening against the women protesters. She recounted being handcuffed, mistreated by the police, and suffering bruises. Despite filing a medical report of assault, she criticized the indictment for legitimizing the police violence against journalists and portraying her as an 'activist' rather than a reporter. Durgut expressed her determination to continue reporting the truth, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in documenting human rights abuses in the region.
