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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Head of Eastern Europe & Central Asia desk Johann Bihr made a statement on news in the media regarding rights advocates working towards press freedom in Turkey.
Characterizing these news pieces as a "new government-orchestrated campaign", Bihr said:
"These insane claims would be laughable if they did not put the targeted journalists in grave danger" and added:
"We condemn this new government-orchestrated campaign, which is designed to instil fear and complete the process of silencing all media opposition."
RSF's criticism addresses the newspapers such as Sabah, Akşam, Star, Türkiye and Güneş which, according to RSF's statement, "have been developing a conspiracy theory implicating journalists covering the Cumhuriyet trial, opposition parliamentarians and eight leading human rights defenders, including Amnesty International Turkey director İdil Eser".
These reports include accusations targeting rights advocates taken into custody during a training workshop on July 5 in Büyükada and the Journalists Outside initiative that came together to campaign for the freedom of arrested Cumhuriyet employees.
The journalists have been targeted openly by name and were exposed to accusations without any legal grounds. (AS/DG)
* Click to read RSF's full statement
