25
Mar 2019
Lvl. 1
Resolved
Alert created on: 18 Jul 2016
Turkey
Journalist Mustafa Cambaz Killed in Failed Coup Attempt
Source of threatNon-state
CategoryAttacks on physical safety and integrity of journalists
Mustafa Cambaz, a photojournalist with the Turkish daily newspaper Yeni Şafak was killed during the failed coup of Friday 15 July 2016 in Turkey. According to his newspaper, he died of a gunshot to the head when soldiers opened fire on the crowds in the Çengelköy neighborhood of Istanbul in the early hours of Saturday 16 July 2016.
Resolved
25 Mar 2019:
On 25 March 2019, taking into consideration the verdict issued by the Istanbul 32th High Criminal Court in one of the 2016 coup attempt trials, including the case of murder of journalist Mustafa Cambaz, the partner organisations to the Platform declared this case to be “resolved”, concluding it was no longer an active threat to media freedom.
Updates
22 Mar 2019
On 10 December 2018, the Istanbul 32th High criminal court issued its verdict in one of the 2016 coup attempt trials. Out of the 114 defendants (riot police officers and soldiers) 34 were sentenced for aggravated life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” while 16 were held guilty of “aiding an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order”. Additionally, seven defendants were given two counts of aggravated life sentence and 3 defendants two counts of life sentence for the “deliberate murder” of Mustafa Cambaz.
Additional Information
- Article on the CPJ website on “In Turkey, one journalist killed, several newsrooms seized in attempted coup”
- News on the Mapping Media Freedom website on “Turkey: Journalist killed in failed coup attempt”
- News on the IFJ website on “Photojournalist killed and media occupied in Turkey: press freedom under threat”
- News on the EFJ website on “A photojournalist killed and media occupied in Turkey: press freedom was targeted”
Follow-ups
21 Jul 2016
OSCE Representative "deeply saddened to learn about Cambaz’ death" calls "the authorities to do their utmost to ensure journalists’ safety and free flow of information during times of crisis".
20 Jul 2016
Regretting “ that journalists were once more victims of violence, at the hands of coup plotters, as well as of citizens resisting them, and that access to several news media on the internet were blocked once more”, the Commissioner for Human Rights said that he “will be closely monitoring the situation in the coming days”.