Journalist Fırat Bulut detained for 'spreading false information' over earthquake coverage
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Journalist Fırat Bulut was detained at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport late yesterday (March 9) after returning from the earthquake-hit Malatya province.
The Bingöl Penal Judgeship of Peace had issued a warrant against the journalist for "spreading false information" as per the controversial "disinformation law" enacted in October.
The police took Bulut to the airport police station. After spending the night there, he was taken to the Çubuk Courthouse.
"For a month, I've been reporting in the earthquake region," the journalist wrote on Twitter. "They weren't there after the earthquake, now they're trying to silence us with an investigation."
The journalist was released later in the day.
On February 6, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş. The first quake in the Pazarcık district at 4.17 a.m. was followed by the second one in Elbistan about nine hours later.
The quakes affected 11 cities in Türkiye's south and southeast, as well as Syria's northern parts, where over 5,000 people were killed.
Türkiye's official death toll from the quakes stands at over 46,000 and is expected to increase further, as over 227,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures.
Nearly two million people have been displaced due to the earthquakes.
The 'disinformation law'According to the "Law on the Amendment of the Press Law and Some Laws" enacted in October 2022, those who "spread disinformation" will face up to three years in prison. Article 29 - Openly disseminating information misleading the public The following provisions were added to article 217 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 dated 26/9/2004: Article 217/A- (1) Anyone who spreads information about internal or external security of the country, public order and public health which is not true just in order to create concern, fear, or panic among people in a manner that domestic peace may be disrupted will be punished with imprisonment sentence of one to three years. (2) If the crime is committed by an offender concealing their identity or within the framework of organizational activity, the penalty will be increased half fold." |
(HA)