Turkish police on Saturday raided the home of Rabia Önver, a Kurdish journalist covering gangs in eastern Turkey, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing local media.
Önver, who works for JINNEWS, a media outlet that covers issues of Kurds and women in Turkey, was not at home at the time of the raid. Her family was therefore notified that she was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant.
The raid came after Önver’s investigation revealed the alleged involvement of gangs in forcing young women into drug use and prostitution, with accusations that local authorities have turned a blind eye.
Victims’ families, including N.K., whose daughter was a victim, claim that local authorities protected the gang. Despite several complaints over the past seven months, no significant legal action has been taken.
Media groups suspect this exposé triggered the police action.
“Our colleague Rabia exposed, with evidence, a truth known but feared to be discussed in Hakkari,” the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) said in a press release. “The dark forces leading Kurdish youth into drugs and prostitution are widely recognized, as detailed in Rabia’s reporting.”
The statement added that the police search lasted several hours, condemning the authorities for targeting Önver instead of investigating the criminal activities.
The Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG) echoed these concerns, viewing the raid as a tactic to pressure the free press. “The ongoing threats and censorship aimed at journalists doing their job are direct assaults on the public’s right to information,” the MKG said. “Women journalists will not be silenced.”
Turkey, which became the world’s biggest prison for journalists in 2018, during a state of emergency imposed after a coup attempt, was ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF).