On World Press Freedom Day, Maat calls on the Turkish authorities to release the two journalists

Aqil: During the first quarter of 2020, the Turkish authorities arrested 33 journalists

At a time when the world celebrates the World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3 every year, the Turkish authorities continue to arrest dozens of journalists, which are ranked 154 out of 180 countries in the world press freedom classification according to Reporters Without Borders, where more than 124 journalists are behind bars. And a worker in the media field, which made some describe it as the largest open prison For journalists worldwide, there are more than 155 media outlets that have been closed by order of the Turkish government since the coup attempt in July 2016, and during the first quarter of 2020, the Turkish authorities banned 232 news articles.

This contradicts all international conventions and charters, especially Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Turkey is a party.

the most we can talk about; This day (May 3rd) was chosen as the date to commemorate the historic Windhoek Declaration during a meeting of African journalists organized by UNESCO and held in Namibia on May 3, 1991, and the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 announced its approval of May 3 to be considered World Press Freedom Day, following a recommendation addressed to it. The UNESCO General Conference, and this day is considered an occasion to inform citizens of violations of freedom of the press and to remind that - in dozens of countries around the world - publications are censored, fines imposed on them, their publications suspended, and publishing houses are closed, while journalists, editors and publishers are subjected to harassment, assaults and arrests, even assassination In many cases.

For his part, Ayman Aqil, head of the Maat Foundation, called on the Turkish authorities to release the journalists immediately, explaining that during the first quarter of 2020, the Turkish government detained at least 33 journalists, 12 of them for covering news related to the Coronavirus, and 17 journalists for their reports on refugees. Aqeel also called on the Turkish authorities to abolish Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which the government has used in the last five years as a tool to abuse journalists, as more than 62 journalists have been convicted of insulting the President of the Republic, and Aqeel called on the international community to press the Turkish authorities to stop the violations that It is practiced on journalists and media workers.

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