MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Death threat by police against journalists
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
General
CITY
Van
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2022
LAST UPDATED
01/09/2022
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Internet
Internet News Portal
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Journalist
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Third-Party Interference
Threat or Harassment

Covering the march following the September 1 World Peace Day rally held by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Van, journalists were battered by the police. Police officers forced journalist Mesut Bağcı to lie on the ground, battered him and broke his camera. An undercover police officer also threatened Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Berivan Kutlu and JinNews reporter Zelal Tunç with death. Police threatened the journalists by saying, “I’ll shoot you; no one can find you.” The same police officer also pointed his gun at JinNews reporter Elfazi Toral. The incident was also filmed. Moreover, police officers frequently prevented journalists from filming the march and intervention and tried to break their cameras. Journalists said that they would file a criminal complaint against the police (September 1).