Criticizing the verdicts, Altıntaş said, “They want to punish journalism with these prison sentences, but they cannot prevent us practicing journalism”

AZİZ ORUÇ, ADIYAMAN

Ajansa Welat reporter Mahmut Altıntaş was sentenced to prison in two different cases in five days. The fourth hearing in the trial of Altıntaş, who was detained by force in Yeni Mahalle neighborhood of Adıyaman on 27 January 2024 while he was on his way to covering news, on the charge of “resisting the police,” was held at the Adıyaman 4th Criminal Court of First Instance on 21 February 2025. The court sentenced Altıntaş to 5 months in prison. 

The first hearing in another trial of Altıntaş on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Adıyaman 2nd High Criminal Court on 26 February 2025. The court sentenced Altıntaş to 1 year 6 months and 20 days in prison and deferred the sentence.

Journalist Altıntaş, who was sentenced to prison in two cases in five days, spoke to Expression Interrupted.

“The police beat me but I am the one sentenced”

Altıntaş stated that he was arrested in Adıyaman on 27 January 2024 over his social media posts and that he was subjected to violence by the police because he did not bow his head during the statement procedures: “I was sentenced to imprisonment both for being detained and for being subjected to violence. I was sentenced to a total of 1 year, 11 months and 20 days in two cases five days apart. When I look at this whole process, there is no legal basis for what happened. The police beat me but they gave me a prison sentence. You are a journalist, you make news, you share your news; ‘this is a crime,’ they say and you are sentenced. All these incidents show us that the judiciary in Turkey acts not on legal but political grounds. Not only in this case, many of our friends are in prison today just for doing their job.”

“Punishments will not prevent us practicing journalism”

Stating that Kurdish journalists are being massacred in Northern and Eastern Syria and that Kurdish journalists are being punished through the judiciary in Turkey, Altıntaş said the following: “The murder and imprisonment of Kurdish journalists is directly linked to the Kurdish question. We will react to these punishments by doing our job better. These punishments will not prevent us from practicing journalism, on the contrary, they will cause us to embrace our work more tightly. Since there is no freedom of thought and expression in Turkey, dozens of lawsuits are filed against journalists and these cases result in prison sentences. In the past, many journalists, politicians and activists have been arrested or imprisoned over their opinions. If there was freedom of thought and opinion in this country, journalists, politicians, and academics would not be in prison today. Since the judiciary in Turkey acts as an institution and organ of the political power, it punishes anyone who opposes the government and expresses their opinions.” 

Call for solidarity to journalists and professional organizations

“I call on everyone, especially my colleagues, who are trying to do journalism and inform the public, regardless of their thoughts and ideas, to be in total solidarity against the attacks,” Altıntaş said: “If we journalists stand in solidarity, if we show a strong reaction when a journalist is detained or jailed, we can reverse these attacks. Press organizations need to speak out more actively. Institutions need to organize actions and events to protest these repressions strongly in the field. Almost every day journalists are either fined, arrested or jailed. If we do not get used to this situation and react strongly, we will reverse these attacks. All journalists need to come together in solidarity for their profession. We may have different opinions, but if we all have our share of these oppressions, we need to show solidarity together. If all journalists speak out against all oppressive acts, then the ruling judiciary will not be able to punish journalists so easily.”