As part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 20 journalists were detained in raids on their homes and offices on June 8, 2022 (June 8).
After eight days in detention, the journalists were referred to the prosecutor’s office that was conducting the investigation, on June 15. Journalists exercised their right to remain silent during the interrogation at the Security Directorate and were brought to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace after their statements were completed at the prosecutor’s office. The journalists, whose statements were taken again at the Criminal Judgeship of Peace, denied the allegations against themselves and said that what they did was journalism.
After their statements were completed, Safiye Alagaş, the Manager of JinNews, Aziz Oruç, an editor for the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Serdar Altan, the Co-Chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), Mehmet Ali Ertaş, the Managing Editor of the Xwebûn newspaper, and journalists Ömer Çelik, Abdurrahman Öncü, Elif Üngür, İbrahim Koyuncu, Lezgin Akdeniz, Mazlum Doğan Güler, Mehmet Şahin, Neşe Toprak, Ramazan Geciken, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan and Zeynel Abidin Bulut were arrested (June 16).
