ETHA Journalists Semiha Şahin, Pınar Gayıp Arrested

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Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and its reporter Pınar Gayıp have been arrested on the seventh day of detention.

Gayıp and Şahin were taken into custody from their homes on April 13 around 2 a.m. On April 19, Şahin and Gayıp were sent to prosecutor’s office along with detained Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF) member Ferhat Pehlivan and Gülsen İmre, who was detained in Gazi Neighorbood.

The prosecutor’s office sent them to Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Duty for arrest on charges of “Being a member of an illegal organization” and “Propagandizing for an illegal organization”.

The judgeship ruled for arrest of Semiha Şahin on charge of “Being a member of an illegal organization and propagandizing for it”; Pınar Gayıp on charge of “Being a member of an illegal organization”; Pehlivan and İmre on charge of “Propagandizing for an illegal organization”.

The number of arrested ETHA workers has increased to six with the arrests of Şahin and Gayıp.

The arrested ETHA journalists 

ETHA, whose website is blocked since July 27, 2015, continues to publish its news on Facebook.

ETHA editor İsminaz Temel and its reporter Havva Cuştan were arrested on October 25 and reporter Ali Sönmez Kayar on February 6. 

Adil Demirci, who was detained on the same day as Pınar Gayıp and Semiha Şahin was arrested on April 17. The number of arrested ETHA journalists has increased to six with the arrests of Gayıp and Şahin.

23 lawyer and journalists 13 of whom are pending trial in jail are charged with “propagandizing for an illegal organization”. The news covered by the journalists are cited as offense.

Charge of “being a member of an illegal organization” is pressed by İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Ufuk Can Gazezoğlu against Ali Sönmez Kavar and eight figures kept in custody.

First hearings of Temel and Cuştan will be held on July 16 at İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court, and Ali Sönmez Kayar’s first hearing on July 13 at İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court. (BK/TK)