Rights organizations have called for the immediate release of Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay, who was arrested on Saturday for “targeting a public official” and “publicly disseminating misleading information” in a social media posting.
The accusations are based on an online post related to the investigation of the Istanbul mayor. Karabay, a reporter for 10Haber, listed the names of the prosecutors conducting the investigation against the mayor. In his defense, Karabay said the names had already been made known to the public.
Karabay’s arrest, according to press freedom organizations, is another signal of an increasing trend of criminalizing journalists for their work.
“These actions against journalists who are simply fulfilling their duty to inform the public are not only a violation of the public’s right to access information but also a breach of freedom of expression and press freedom, which are protected under the constitution and international agreements, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory,” the group said in a joint statement.
Freedom House, the Media and Law Studies Association, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the International Press Institute and the Progressive Journalists Association urged Turkish authorities to cease “policies of intimidation, harassment, and pressure against journalists.”
Rights groups say his case exemplifies a growing crackdown on journalists reporting on judicial matters in Turkey. Among others, journalist Fırat Can Arslan was arrested in 2023 after sharing a social media post on judicial appointments, leading to the additional detention of four other journalists who shared his post.
“We call for the immediate release of Furkan Karabay, recognizing that his detention is an unjust infringement on press freedom and freedom of expression.”
Turkey, which became the world’s biggest prison for journalists in 2018, during a state of emergency imposed after a failed coup attempt in 2016, was ranked 158th of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
