Turkish court frees AFP journalist held for covering protests: lawyer
Istanbul: A Turkish court on Thursday freed AFP photographer Yasin Akgul who was detained for covering mass protests roiling the country, his lawyer said.
Akgul, 35, was one of seven Turkish journalists arrested this week after days of covering mass protests that erupted on March 19 when Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival — was arrested.
Akgul and his colleagues were arrested at their homes before dawn and charged with 'taking part in illegal rallies and marches and failing to disperse despite warnings,' court documents showed.
Turkiye ranks 158 out of 180 countries listed in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index compiled by RSF.
AFP chief executive and chairman Fabrice Fries had slammed imprisonment as 'unacceptable.'
Akgul, he stressed, was 'not part of the protest' but only covering it as a journalist, and should be swiftly released.
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