DİHA Reporter Meltem Oktay Released

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Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Meltem Oktay, who was detained in Nusaybin district of Mardin province where she was temporarily stationed for news coverage on April 11 and arrested on April 14 has been released.

Mardin 2nd Heavy Penal Court ordered the release of Oktay in the second hearing held today (August 18).

With release of Oktay, the number of detained journalists in Turkey has dropped to 75.

What had happened?

DİHA reporters Meltem Oktay and Uğur Akgül had been detained in a police raid on the house

they stayed in in Mardin’s Nusaybin district where they had come for news coverage.

Oktay was arrested whereas Akgül was released on probation.

The charges of “[illegal] organization membership” and “[illegal] organization propaganda” were pressed against Meltem Oktay. Uğur Akgül is being tried on the charge of “[illegal] organization propaganda” based on his Facebook and Twitter posts. (BK/TK)