Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Ünal Tanık
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Ünal Tanık, 31 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a5c92bea.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Rotahaber | Imprisoned in Turkey | January 17, 2017
| Job: | Editor |
| Medium: | Internet |
| Beats Covered: | Business, Corruption, Crime, Culture, Human Rights, Politics, Sports, War |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Charge: | Anti-state |
| Length of Sentence: | Not Sentenced |
| Reported Health Problems: | No |
Police detained Tanık, chief editor of the news website Rotahaber, in the western province of Yalova on January 17, 2017, according to press reports. The following day, an Istanbul court ordered him to be jailed pending trial as part of Turkey's sweeping purge of suspected followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen, according to press reports. The government accuses Gülen of maintaining a terrorist organization and "parallel state structure" (or FETÖ/PDY, as the government calls it) within Turkey that it blames for orchestrating a failed July 15, 2016, military coup.
Tanık is on trial with several other journalists arrested after the failed attempted coup in July 2016. All but one of them were charged with "being a member of an armed [terrorist] organization," which carries up to 10 years in prison, according to the indictment.
CPJ found the indictment to be similar to those presented at trials of other journalists in Turkey. Prosecutors cited as evidence in these cases journalistic activity or acts of free speech and communication, or cited circumstantial evidence such as being employed by a certain media outlet or having an account at a bank allegedly linked to Gulenists.
The indictment accused the defendants of manipulating the public perception of FETÖ to turn citizens against the government, which prosecutors argued made them members of the group that Turkey alleges is behind the attempted coup.
Prosecutors cited as evidence against Tanık content published on his website about an anonymous pro-Gülen Twitter whistleblower known as @fuatavni, and his account with Bank Asya, which the government alleged to be a Gülenist institution.
When the trial started in March 2017, an Istanbul court ordered Tanık and four of his co-accused to be detained for the duration of the trial, according to news reports.
Tanık was being held in Silivri Prison in Istanbul.
