(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: July 11th 2000 Turkish Cypriot Journalists Arrested and Disappeared THE International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ organisation, and its regional organisation, the European Federation of Journalists, have condemned the arrest and disappearance of Shener Levent, Editor-in-Chief, and two journalists of the daily Turkish Cypriot […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release:
July 11th 2000
Turkish Cypriot Journalists Arrested and Disappeared
THE International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ organisation, and its regional organisation, the European Federation of Journalists, have condemned the arrest and disappearance of Shener Levent, Editor-in-Chief, and two journalists of the daily Turkish Cypriot newspaper AVRUPA, on July 7th. The IFJ has called on Mr. Rauf Denktash of the Turkish Cypriot Administration today, to immediately confirm the safe whereabouts of these colleagues and an explanation for their detention.
Despite efforts by the families and lawyers of the arrested journalists to find out where they are held, the Turkish authorities refused to give any information.
According to the IFJ and EFJ affiliate, the Union of Cyprus Journalists, there are reasons to fear that the lives of the arrested journalists are in great danger. Accusations have been made against them by the Turkish Cypriot radio station Bayrak, under control by Turkish army officers, that the arrested are “a gang of conspirators against the Turkish army”.
“The campaign against AVRUPA is misguided and threatens democracy, but the mysterious disappearance of our three colleagues adds a new and worrying dimension to this campaign of harassment. We demand that the authorities reassure their families and colleagues that they are safe and well,” said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ.
The IFJ and EFJ have already been following the case of AVRUPA since January this year when the newspaper was accused of incitement and defamation of the government. More protest letters followed in February and June. Hearings against the daily newspaper started on May 26th before a so-called “criminal court” in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus, on 75 lawsuits against AVRUPA for “instigating hatred against the Turkish republic of North Cyprus and the Turkish army”. For each lawsuit the military and the police demand five years imprisonment for the editor-in-chief, Mr. Shener Levent, and five other journalists of AVRUPA.
The IFJ and EFJ believe these proceedings are designed to prevent legitimate journalistic inquiry and comment on the work of the authorities. As such they constituted a severe breach of the right to freedom of expression. While the Turkish Cypriot authorities may well resent the editorial position of AVRUPA, which is critical of official policy in North Cyprus and the consolidation of the division of Cyprus into two separate states, these are legitimate and serious opinions that should have expression in a democracy.
The IFJ and EFJ call on the Turkish government and the Turkish Cypriot Authorities to release Shener Levent and his two colleagues immediately and unconditionally and to lift the on-going legal action against the newspaper AVRUPA.
