2 women journalists killed, 25 rights violations against women journalists in August, report says

In August 2024, two women journalists were killed and 25 women journalists were subjected to rights violation, said a report released by the Mesopotamia Women’s Journalists (MKG).

News Center- The Mesopotamia Women’s Journalists Association (Mezopotamya Kadın Gazeteciler Derneği, MKG) has released its report on rights violations against women journalists in Türkiye and Kurdistan in August 2024.

The threats against women journalists’ safety of life increased in August, the report emphasized, recalling that a Turkish drone attack killed two Kurdish women journalists, Hêro Bahadîn and Gulistan Tara, and injured six other journalists in Sulaymaniyah.

Restrictions on freedom of thought and expression intensified in August, the report said, stressing that women journalists faced investigations, prosecutions and indictments. “25 human rights violations against women journalists occurred in August and this reveals how freedom of thought and expression is restricted.”

Türkiye blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on August 2 and it restored access to Instagram on August 10, said the report.

According to the report, the rights violations against women journalists in August were:

“*One journalist was attacked.

*15 journalists were subjected to ill-treatment.

* Two journalists were prevented from reporting.

*One journalist was prosecuted.

*Six women journalists were behind bars ( between August 1 to August 31).”