ISTANBUL - Journalists Semiha Şahin and Pınar Gayip, who have been held in custody, sent a message through their lawyers and said, “Journalism is not a crime. We say once again and we will always say; the free media didn’t keep silent and it will not.”

 

Etkim News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and the agency’s correspondent Pınar Gayip were taken into custody in Istanbul on April 12 and they have been held in custody for five days. The reason for their detention is unknown because a confidentiality order has been issued on the investigation. Semiha and Pınar sent a message through their laywers and Semiha said, “We say once again and we will always say; the free media didn’t keep silent and it will not.”

 

‘Journalism is not a crime’

 

Journalist Pınar said, “They raided our houses at night with long barreled weapons even though they knew we would testify when they called us. This wasn’t the first, Havva and İsminaz previously faced the same unlawfulness for doing their job. Journalism is not a crime. We will keep shouting this everywhere we are.”