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.
human rights
Coalition of 45 rights organisations decries new Bangladesh draft rules
Forty-five international organisations signed a communication to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) urging them to withdraw or reconsider proposed regulations for digital media, social media, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. The draft is dated October 2021 but was published on 6 February 2022. Stating that ‘The Draft Regulations seek to implement a content governance framework devoid of adequate judicial oversight, clarity and predictability, and integration of human rights and due process,’ the letter details eleven initial key concerns that require discussion.