OSCE Media Watchdog Concerned By Journalists' Arrest Over Turkey Protest Coverage

Umer Jamshaid Published August 28, 2019 | 08:21 PM

The media freedom watchdog with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) raised concern on Wednesday over arrests of journalists covering protests in Turkey

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2019) The media freedom watchdog with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) raised concern on Wednesday over arrests of journalists covering protests in Turkey.

Protests were sparked by the president's decision to remove three pro-minority mayors of Mardin, Van and Diyarbakir in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast.

"Journalists should be guaranteed safe working conditions at all times, including while covering protests, and no journalist should be imprisoned in retaliation for their work," Harlem Desir said.

At least nine reporters were taken into custody last week in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Istanbul. A columnist was seized during a midnight raid in her Istanbul home. All of them were later released.