Turkish court jails 16 Kurdish journalists over alleged terrorist links

A Turkish court has jailed 16 Kurdish journalists for “belonging to a terrorist organisation” and their close cooperation with the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Diyarbarkir. They were also accused of spreading terrorist propaganda and since 2016 several hundred HDP members have already been detained.
Nazim Bilgin, the president of the Journalists’ Association of Turkey warns that: “We are living in the darkest days of our country as far as press freedom is concerned.” It is also alarming that Turkey has jailed more reporters than most other countries in the previous decade, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

India blocks 16 YouTube-based news channels for spreading fake news.

The information and broadcasting ministry decided to block 16 YouTube-based news channels for spreading fake news related to national security issues and India’s foreign relations. The blocked accounts include 10 YouTube channels from India and six from Pakistan. A statement by the ministry explained that these digital news channels had failed to provide the information they were requested, as required under the new IT rules in the country. Consequently, the government invoked its emergency powers granted under the IT rules.