The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 26 press freedom and human rights organizations in a Friday statement condemning the surge of arrests of Kurdish media workers in Turkey and calling on authorities to release journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat.
The three journalists were jailed by an Istanbul court on April 27, the latest link in a chain of incarcerations, which has seen the work of Kurdish journalists used as evidence of terrorist activity.
“On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, we renew our urgent call to the authorities of Turkey to cease the harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists,” the statement said. “We urge them to ensure the safety and protection of all journalists in line with Turkey’s obligations under its own Press Law and Constitution. We also call for a halt to the constant violation of the rights of freedom of expression and media freedom as protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Read the full statement here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.