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Turkey Press Crackdown Seen Widening to Human Rights Groups

  • Reporters Without Borders representative in Turkey jailed
  • Charge stems from solidarity campaign with Kurdish news outlet
Journalists shout slogans and hold placards during a march marking Journalism Day in Istanbul Turkey has slid toward the bottom of world press freedom rankings during the 14-year rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, now president, and his Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party.

Journalists shout slogans and hold placards during a march marking Journalism Day in Istanbul Turkey has slid toward the bottom of world press freedom rankings during the 14-year rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, now president, and his Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party.

Photographer: Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images
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Turkey jailed three leading press freedom and human rights advocates, charging them with disseminating terrorist propaganda after they joined a solidarity campaign for a newspaper focusing on Kurdish issues.

Erol Onderoglu, who represents the Paris-based press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, was arrested after appearing in an Istanbul court on Monday. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, a forensics expert who helped set the international standard for documenting torture claims, and writer Ahmet Nesin, were also sent to prison on similar charges.