Upheld Decision against Deutsche Welle Journalist in Turkey
In June of 2023, a Turkish court upheld a suspended jail term of one year and eight months for journalist Bü Sürem Mumay, as per reports from Deutsche Welle (DW) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Mumay is employed by both outlets. DW has announced its intention to challenge this verdict at Turkey's Constitutional Court.
Mumay was convicted for criticizing a construction firm with ties to the government. He now has to steer clear of any further transgressions, or he could face imprisonment. Mumay expressed his concerns to the German Press Agency, stating that even minor infractions could land him in jail, with the intention of exerting pressure and intimidating him.
The charges stem from Mumay's activities on the X platform in 2020. The company at the receiving end of Mumay's criticisms had supposedly secured an injunction to prevent any media coverage or social media posts about a construction scandal. Mumay had made public the order for a ban on access, which led to his conviction for allegedly publishing "personal data" illegally.
Peter Limbourg, the director of DW, considered the charges against Mumay to be baseless, stating, "Bü Sürem Mumay is a courageous, seasoned, and critical journalist who appears to be silenced by the Turkish power establishment." The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's publishers expressed their opposition to any political or legal harassment of journalists.
Mumay pens the column "Letter from Istanbul" for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and serves as the coordinator of DW's Turkish editorial team in Istanbul. A couple of years ago, Turkey had blocked DW's websites within its borders. The broadcasting authority's rationale was the lack of a valid license. However, observers viewed this action as politically motivated.
The decision by the Turkish court to uphold Mumay's sentence was met with criticism from DW, who intend to appeal at The Court of Justice, arguing that the verdict infringes on freedom of the press. Despite the suspended sentence, Mumay's future in journalism remains uncertain, as even minor infractions could potentially lead to his imprisonment under Turkish law.
