The International Journalists Association brought together journalists and their followers at a media gathering in Leipzig, where participants discussed press freedom, the situation of exiled journalists and ongoing efforts to seek justice for victims.
The event, held at the Berufsbildungswerk, featured Bedreddin Uğur, Editor-in-Chief of Bold Medya, journalist Sevinç Özarslan, and Prof. Hüseyin Demir as speakers.
Speaking at the program, Bedreddin Uğur addressed journalism carried out under limited resources and the struggle to defend victims’ rights.
“As journalists who were forced to leave our country as a result of the confiscation and oppression directed at media organizations in Turkey, we had to create something,” Uğur said. “Journalism is not merely a way to earn money, it requires taking an honorable stand and defending human rights and the rule of law. People from many different segments of society, including ourselves, have suffered injustice. We believe that these abuses must be challenged without comparing victims or considering their identities.”
Uğur also emphasized that those in power had dismantled the country’s legal and justice systems.
“They have devastated the country and its institutions, causing our people, our families and our children to suffer,” he said. “But we have never compromised our principles. We continue our struggle within the framework of the values we believe in and universal standards.”
“Support victims on social media”
Journalist Sevinç Özarslan spoke about the importance of publicizing cases of injustice and said she strives to report on all victimization cases.
Calling on social media users, Özarslan said: “Those who say they do not have time to join hashtag campaigns on X should use the time they spend on Instagram and TikTok to support victimized families.”
Her stories from interviews with victims’ relatives led to emotional moments in the audience.
She described her imprisonment while pregnant
Attorney Elif Özge Hendekçi, who personally experienced these injustices, shared the difficulties she faced during pregnancy and childbirth.
Hendekçi said she was sent to prison when she was three months pregnant and experienced the unlawful practices firsthand. She added that she was held in prison with her baby for nearly five years.
“I saw the power of social media”
Hendekçi said she came to understand the importance of social media support more clearly while in prison.
“I personally witnessed how some prosecutors and judges were influenced by what was written on social media,” she said. “After being released and leaving Turkey, I have continued to use social media actively.”
The search for justice continues in Europe
Prof. Hüseyin Demir spoke about injustices in Turkey and the ongoing legal efforts in Europe.
He explained that international work is being carried out on five fronts, including before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna, the Kiel Academic Conference, and initiatives in Ireland and Oslo.
These efforts aim to bring issues such as the post-Yalçınkaya process, the instrumentalization of law, obstruction of retrials, the practice of mass punishment and transnational repression to the attention of the international community.
Demir also announced that, as in previous years, a justice gathering will be held in front of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
