Seyhan Avşar
Court reporter targeted by Deputy Justice Minister
PEN Norway’s journalist colleague Seyhan Avşar tells us in an exclusive interview about her recent judicial harrassment by former prosecutor, now member of the Executive in Turkey.
Journalist and PEN Norway’s court reporter in Turkey, Seyhan Avşar, recounts her story behind the international travel ban handed down ‘in absentia’ following a complaint “from the very top”. The incident, taking place early January 2024, follows a series of cases against court reporters by a single prosecutor, now promoted to the Executive as Deputy Minister of Justice.
Avşar calls for solidarity at home and abroad: “My plea to all my colleagues, both in Turkey and internationally would be: Stand by me and every single journalist colleague who is facing difficulty and hardship. We owe them this much.”
Read the interview with Seyhan Avşar in English and Turkish
PEN Norway’s Secretary General, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, said of the case:
“It is a sad state of affairs that Turkey has started 2024 with an immediate spate of trials against journalists. Turkey is long overdue for legal reforms, and our Turkey Desk at PEN Norway will continue its daily monitoring and reporting of judicial harassment against journalists, and the relentless attack on the rights of freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial.”
From left to right: Defendant journalists: Rohat Bulut, Serdar Altan, Lezgin Akdeniz, Mehmet Şahin, Elif Üngür. Photocredit: PEN Norway