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Turkish court arrests British reporters on 'IS terror' charges
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 1 September 2015
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Two British journalists from Vice News have been arrested in Turkey on terrorism charges related to the Islamic State. Their detention highlights growing concerns over media freedom in the region.Summary
DIYARBAKIR: A court in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast Monday remanded in custody on terror charges two British journalists working for US-based media outlet Vice News, in a case that has sparked fresh concern about press freedoms. Vice News condemned the charges as "baseless" and an attempt to censor coverage, while leading rights groups have called for the immediate release of the reporters.
The two British reporters and their translator, an Iraqi national, have been charged with "engaging in terror activity" on behalf of the Islamic State extremist group, the court in Diyarbakir said. A fourth suspect, their driver, was allowed to go free, an AFP correspondent reported from the court. The charges also include "intentionally aiding an armed organisation".
Vice News, an Internet-based channel which produces in-depth video reports, has named the two British journalists in a statement as Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury. It also said that while sources initially said they were detained for filming without government accreditation, they had then been accused of supporting the IS group. They have now been taken to a jail in Diyarbakir ahead of an eventual trial.
There were no further details on the evidence of their alleged links to IS jihadists. The reporters were detained last week covering unrest in southeast Turkey which has raged as the government presses a military offensive against Kurdish rebels. They had earlier been questioned by prosecutors who decided to take the case to court.
The four men, including the driver, had been held in police custody since their detention last week. Reports said that they were arrested after police, acting on a tip-off, confiscated footage shot during their reporting. All have denied the accusations in the presence of their lawyers. - AFP
Key Points
- British reporters charged with engaging in terror activity for the Islamic State.
- Vice News denounces the charges as baseless and an attack on press freedom.
- The journalists were previously detained for filming without government accreditation.
- A fourth suspect, their driver, has been released by the court.
- Worldwide rights groups are demanding the immediate release of the reporters.
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