Journalists attacked outside court after diploma case verdict, union says

In a statement, the union said reporters and camera operators were targeted by people described as relatives and associates of Ünal. The incidents took place in the court courtyard despite the presence of numerous police officers and officials, it added.

The journalists lodged complaints with police in Lefkoşa and requested action against those involved.

The union called for an immediate investigation, urging police to examine camera footage, witness statements and other evidence, identify those responsible and bring them before the courts.

It said journalists covering the fake diploma case had faced sustained pressure, including online attacks, coordinated complaints, insults, threats and social media harassment aimed at intimidating them and preventing information from reaching the public.

The union warned that allowing threats and harassment to go unpunished risked encouraging increasingly serious attacks.

Should the latest incident also go unresolved, it said it would launch protests to defend journalists’ right to work safely, press freedom and the public’s right to information.

“The journalist’s job is to report the news,” the union said, adding that reporters and camera operators should not become the story because they have been attacked while doing their work.

It called on the authorities to act without delay.