Court rejects appeal against release of journalists reporting on torture

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The Van 6th Heavy Penal Court has rejected the prosecutor's appeal against the release of journalists Adnan Bilen, Cemil Uğur, Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala, who were arrested after reporting on an incident of torture where Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut had been thrown from a helicopter by soldiers in Turkey's Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van.

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala were detained in raids conducted on their houses and offices on October 6, 2020. They were arrested three days later, on October 9, 2020.

While a lawsuit was filed against the four arrested journalists, along with MA reporter Zeynep Durgut, they were released at their first hearing at the Van 5th Heavy Penal Court on April 2, 2021. The prosecutor's office appealed against their release shortly afterwards.

CLICK - Four journalists released after spending six months under arrest for reporting on torture

(HA/SD)