AMED - A criminal complaint will be filed against HUDA PAR and AKP members who targeted journalist Bilal Güldem.

 

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) editor Bilal Güldem was targeted by HUDA PAR members, one of the partners of AKP, after he shared a video about the abuse of children in Elih(Batman) under the name of "prayer event" on his social media account. Bilal Çakir, registered to the Amed Bar Association, targeted journalist Güldem through the video shared without comment. Later, HUDA PAR and AKP members threatened Güldem and made insults and threats. It also attracted attention that some accounts shared Güldem's home address and the minutes of the files in which she was acquitted.

 

CONDEMNATION FROM RSF

 

Against the threats of HUDA PAR and AKP, many journalists and professional organizations gave messages of support to journalist Güldem. In its post, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Erol Önderoğlu from RSF said: We are astonished that a video about children being taken out for prayer in Batman was instrumentalized to endanger the life safety of the journalist who published it. If it is a lawyer who targets the journalist, this is even worse. We condemn it."

 

DFG: GÜLDEM IS NOT ALONE

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) also made a statement on the issue. In the statement made by DFG, “The attacks on journalists in the country, both by the government and the circles raised and fed by the government, do not end. On the one hand, journalists who are put under judicial pressure and detained due to the news they report, on the other hand, are exposed to attacks from certain circles. "Our journalist friends, whose only duty is to bring what is happening in the country to the public's agenda in a simple way, are being targeted and their voices are being silenced."

 

We strongly condemn these attacks against our journalist friend Bilal Güldem. These gang structures should also know that Bilal Güldem is not alone. We support our friend under all circumstances and conditions and state that we do not accept attacks and threats against him. We also call on all our colleagues, press professional organizations and the entire democratic public to act jointly against such tendencies and to defend journalists."

 

A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED

 

Güldem's lawyers will file a criminal complaint against social media users who threaten their client.