Beritan Canözer, a female journalist working for the news agency JINHA, was arrested in Diyarbakir (Turkey) on 19 December 2015 for allegedly “aiding a terrorist organisation”. Ms Canözer was first taken into custody on 16 December when covering a protest against curfews imposed by Turkish authorities in neighborhoods of the Sur district of Diyarbakir.

According to media reports, the state prosecutor based his evidence against the journalist on notes she took at the event, including slogans that were being chanted by protesters. On the other hand, officers from the Turkish counterterrorism units who arrested the journalist, claimed “reasonable doubt” due to her “agitated state”.

An amendment to Law No. 2559 on Police Duties and Authorities passed in December 2014 allows authorities to detain anyone on “reasonable doubt” without the need for concrete evidence. The International Federation of Journalists and its European group the European Federation of Journalists have submitted a protest alert to the Council of Europe's Online Platform for the promotion of journalism and the safety of journalists.

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