Turkish court frees AFP journalist held while covering protests agency says

ANKARA – A Turkish court freed Agence France-Presse journalist Yasin Akgul on March 27 after he was detained earlier this week while covering mass protests against the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the news agency said.

The detention and subsequent arrest of Imamoglu – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival – on March 23 over graft charges triggered the largest nationwide anti-government demonstrations in over a decade and led to widespread arrests.

On March 25, a court jailed seven journalists pending trial, including AFP’s Mr Akgul, for attending illegal meetings and marches, and “refusing to disperse despite warning during a demonstration”, a court document seen by Reuters showed.

Broadcaster NTV said the court also freed the six other journalists who were held. All of them were local.

Mr Erdogan has dismissed the protests as a “show” and warned legal consequences for those who take part, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party has called for protests to continue and said it would ramp up pressure on the government.

The opposition, Western countries and rights groups have said the case against Imamoglu, who leads Mr Erdogan in some polls, was a politicised move to remove a potential electoral threat to the President.

The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says courts are independent. REUTERS

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