The new Turkey
Nedim Türfent.
Dicle News Agency (DİHA)

Over 650 writers, journalists, publishers, artists, and activists are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of news editor, reporter and poet Nedim Türfent. Today marks 1000 days since he was arrested and sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison on trumped-up terrorism charges following an unfair trial, during which numerous witnesses said they had been tortured into testifying against him.

In an appeal published today by the International Press Institute (IPI), the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and PEN International, signatories from around the world pledged their support for Nedim Türfent and his fight for justice. The letter reads:

‘Today, we are writing to let you know that you are not alone. We stand alongside you and unite our voices to call for your immediate and unconditional release. We will continue to fight for the rights of journalists and writers – in Turkey and around the world – to be able to write freely, and for all those jailed for peacefully expressing their views to be free.’ 

The letter remains open for additional signatures. See full letter here and support Nedim by signing it.

A news editor and reporter at the pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Nedim Türfent was arrested on 12 May 2016 after covering clashes between the Turkish army and the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. He spent nearly two years in solitary confinement, during which time he was transferred to several prisons and reportedly held in conditions amounting to torture or other ill-treatment.

“Today marks another grim milestone in Nedim Türfent’s miscarriage of justice. He has now spent a thousand days behind bars when he should have never been imprisoned in the first place. As we are reminded of the shocking and unacceptable price journalists can pay for simply doing their job, we commend his resolve and forcefully call for his swift release,” said Carles Torner, Executive Director of PEN International.

Nedim Türfent was formally charged with ‘membership of a terrorist organization’ and ‘spreading terrorist propaganda’ 10 months after his arrest. Among the reasons listed in his indictment were his social media posts, his news reporting and 20 witness testimonies. His first hearing was held in Hakkari on 14 June 2017, some 200km away from Van where he was being detained. He was denied the right to appear physically in court seven times, instead forced to testify via the judicial conferencing system SEGBİS, experiencing severe connection and interpretation issues. Out of the 20 witnesses called, 19 retracted their statements, saying they had been extracted under torture.

“IPI has followed Nedim’s case closely from the outset. Firstly, by reporting the online harassment he received at the hands of the security forces and secondly by closely monitoring his unfair trial and writing to him in his cell in Van. Nedim is a journalist. Nedim is innocent of any crime other than having published a story that the Turkish authorities did not want to be revealed. His case is one of the most unjust in a country full of unwarranted legal cases against journalists. IPI calls for Nedim’s immediate release and for the Turkish government to reinstate media freedom in Turkey, allowing journalists to do their job in fulfilling the right of the people to receive the news,” noted Caroline Stockford, IPI Turkey Advocacy Coordinator.

Despite such clear evidence of flagrant fair trial violations, Nedim Türfent was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for ‘membership of a terrorist organization’ and ‘spreading terrorist propaganda’ on 15 December 2017.  On 19 June 2018, the Erzurum Regional Appeals Court upheld his conviction. On 3 September 2018, his lawyers lodged an appeal before Turkey’s Constitutional Court.

“MLSA has represented Nedim Türfent since shortly after his conviction. This is a highly political trial, which was launched after Nedim covered human rights violations that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Turkey during security operations in the area. We demand his immediate release and we will continue working to that end,” said Barış Altıntaş, MLSA Co-Director.

“The story of Nedim is actually the story of Kurdish journalism,” added Veysel Ok, MLSA Co-Director. “Nedim’s trial differs from the journalism trials known in the West in that the police extracted witness testimony by force and through torture. Nedim himself was physically tortured. He was convicted without being taken to the court trying him. We will continue our legal fight using all legal remedies available to ensure his freedom,” he noted. Source

DİHA’s Yüksekova reporter Nedim Türfent was arrested on May 12, 2016, at a checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Van and imprisoned pending trial by a court the next day. Türfent, who covered the military operations of early 2016 in his hometown of Yüksekova, in the southeastern Hakkâri province, was receiving threats since he disclosed a video showing the ill-treatment inflicted by a special forces commander to people who were under arrest.

His trial, which started on June 1, 2017 — more than a year after his arrest — was marred by claims of torture. 20 witnesses who testified against the reporter at the police station retracted their statements during the trial arguing that they had given those statements under torture. Despite the retractions, the court sentenced Türfent to 8 years 9 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization.”

Türfent had to move to five different prisons during his time in custody, eventually being sent to the newly built Van High Security Prison on 26 April, 2016. Türfent has remained in solitary confinement since then, only being able to share a common space with one inmate.

 “I use self-censorship when writing letters”

Türfent is allowed to receive letters, but those are sometimes given to him months later and sometimes not at all. He told P24 that he received on June 10 a letter that was sent to him in January 2018. Letters were strictly scrutinized, he said, adding that “he had to use self-censorship when he wrote.”

“Letters are seized if they contain criticism towards the prison (or the government or the state),” he said. The same arbitrariness is also valid for some books or periodic publications. “Articles containing criticism and books, magazines or newspapers which are not banned can be seized by the ‘Education Committee’,” he said.

 Denied being sent to hospital within 20 minutes for four months

A strip search had been imposed on all inmates when they had been moved to the Van High Security Prison, including to him, Türfent said. He also explained that inmates face major healthcare issues in the prison. Türfent was only able to be examined at the prison’s infirmary over a toothache after filing several petitions.

He especially notes that hospital transfers are commonly done long after the doctor grants  permission for them: Türfent himself was denied to go to a hospital only 20 minutes from the prison for four months. He also said inmates would often be subject to the verbal abuse of soldiers during their transfer to hospitals.   

 Pledges present for first deputy who visits him

When asked if any members of parliament had come to his visit during the two years he had been imprisoned, Türfent said: “No one visited me until now, I am thinking to give a present to the first one who comes. Our door is open!”

Türfent was unable to access a computer and the library to prepare his defence during his entire trial, which was concluded last December. “I’m learning that we had such a right from you, thank you. I prepared all my defence statements with handmade words. It was easy because I explained the profession of journalism,” he said.

 Demand of sharing same common space with Ataman refused

Türfent also told that they had filed many petitions to share a common space with his colleague Ziya Ataman, but all had been arbitrarily refused. He was allowed to attend the sport and conversation activity — granted to all inmates — only a year after repeatedly filing petitions.

 Call of solidarity for 800th day in prison

Türfent’s case is now expected to be appealed at a Regional Court, but he says he hasn’t yet received any notification from his lawyers that the appeal has been filed. He also lacks information on whether any complaint was filed on his behalf at the Turkish Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights, Türfent said.

Noting that July 20 will mark his 800th day in prison, Türfent called for an action of solidarity that day from national and international organizations. While emphasizing that his case was getting some public attention, he also asked not to forget other journalists who couldn’t even afford to get a lawyer. **