Support colleagues in Turkey and China

The NUJ and the European Federation of Journalists (of which the NUJ is a part) are supporting ten Turkish journalists from Odatv news website, on trial for involvement in an alleged coup plot. The defendants maintain that the case is just an excuse to harass independent journalists.

Journalist and Odatv owner Soner Yalcin was released from custody after a hearing on 27 December, but he still can't leave the country and has to report to the court on a weekly basis. His colleague Yalcin Kucuk remains in prison.

Barry White of the NUJ - representing the EFJ - was at the most recent hearing. EFJ obsevers found themselves initially barred from proceedings on the pretext that there wasn't room for them – despite the court building in Istanbul being the biggest in Europe. There's a full report and updates on Barry's blog.

And on 7 January, Chinese journalists at the state-controlled Guangzhou-based Southern Weekend newspaper went on strike and took to the streets with hundreds of supporters. They were protesting the recently-appointed government censor for the province replacing their new year's editorial, which called for political reform.

Watch this space for updates, and for possible appeals for practical support.

© Matt Salusbury