Journalist Esra Solîn Dal has been released from the Bakirko women’s prison in Istanbul, Turkey after being held in solitary confinement for 25 days.
Mesopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Esra Solîn Dal and Mehmet Aslan and journalist Erdogan Alayumat, arrested in Istanbul as part of an investigation on 26 April, were released by court order on 21 May. The prosecutor’s office objected to the release, requesting their re-arrest.
The Kurdish journalists are accused of being “members of an organisation”. In the indictment, the publication of press releases and interviews with press sources were considered a criminal offence. Among other items, 126 news articles on the practice of isolated solitary confinement were listed as evidence.
After being released and welcomed by relatives, her lawyers and the press, Dal Stated made a short statement, promising to continue covering stories exposing the isolation of political prisoners. She also drew attention to the isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in isolation for over 25 years and denied any contact with the outside world including lawyers and family for the past three years.
Journalist Dal ended her speech by saying she had been isolated by authorities over her coverage of Turkey’s isolation practices, but that she would continue to cover “this reality”. Remaining defiant, she said, “The free press cannot be silenced.”
