Protesters gathered in Brussels and Paris on Saturday, voicing their outrage against recent raids on Kurdish television channels Medya Haber TV and Stêrk TV.
#Belgium: Police raided Kurdish TV stations Stêrk TV and Medya Haber, suspected of financing terrorism. With @vvjournalisten we condemn the show of force that accompanied the search: material damage and seizure of journalistic materials.
Read more👇 https://t.co/PI8JZLWb3m— EFJ (@EFJEUROPE) April 26, 2024
These channels, established over three decades ago and implicated in an investigation into terrorism financing, were targeted by Belgian police, resulting in significant material damage.
The European Federation of Journalists and other organisations swiftly condemned the aggressive tactics used during the raids, emphasising the importance of safeguarding journalists’ sources and maintaining press freedom. The demonstrations featured multilingual banners, damaged equipment from the raids, and speakers from various Kurdish and international groups.
Amed Dicle, a prominent Kurdish journalist, accused the raids of being politically motivated with backing from the Turkish Republic. “These attacks are not just legal actions but outright vandalism,” he stated. This sentiment was echoed by other speakers who vowed to continue exposing injustices despite the crackdowns.