Introducing Gavels vs Pens: The judicial story of Russian and Turkish media

On 22 June, contributors to the publication titled, Gavels vs Pens: Judiciary's attack on journalism in Russia and Turkey, a collaboration between the civil society organizations JAM and the Mass Media Defense Center, will come together to talk about the last two decades of life for journalists in Russia and Turkey. The introduction will take place on June 22 at 16:00 GMT+2 (16:00 Berlin, 17:00 Istanbul, 10:00 DC). Contributors to the publication, Barış Altıntaş, Nate Schenkkan, Roman Zholud, Gökçer Tahincioğlu, and Sibel Yükler, will share their perspectives. Free speech lawyers, Galina Arapova and Veysel Ok, will offer their insights. The event will be one-hour long and conducted in English with simultaneous Turkish translation. Reserve your spot through the Zoom Live link. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfuuhqDIqGdTv3Wdiy2RhxGQvsAheAtpo#/registration About the publication The publication demonstrates in detail the playbook of autocrats as beautifully expressed by Margaret Atwood in the above quote, meticulously scrutinizing escalating hostility and judicial assaults against journalists over the last two decades in both Russia and Turkey, largely orchestrated by their respective political regimes. The introduction by Nate Schenkkan, sets the stage for this analysis, arguing that while these nations are frequently grouped together as sy-bols of autocracy, there are critical distinctions between them. Roman Zholud and Anna Romashchenko's chapters on Russia detail a carefully orchestrated "cleansing" of the information space, spearheaded by Putin's administration. This is particularly evident in the widespread censorship that accompanied Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a move that resulted in the blocking or outright ban of numerous independent media outlets. Simultaneously, in Turkey, as narrated by Barış Altıntaş and Sibel Yükler,the Erdoğan government's aggressive measures have caused the country to rank as the sixth-largest jailer of journalists globally. These regimes weaponize accusations of state crimes to silence and intimidate journalists, making them the 'traitors' or 'terrorists'. A notable case is that of Ivan Safronov in Russia, accused of high treason for allegedly passing confidential information to Czech special forces. Similarly, in Turkey, the government's interference in the editorial policy of news outlets, as illustrated in the Cumhuriyet saga narrated by Gökçer Tahiincioğlu, has led to a new cause of concern for press freedom. The increased judicial harassment journalists face when reporting on state or corporate corruption is also detailed in the later chapters of the publication. Examples include the use of fabricated evidence against journalists in Russia, while in Turkey, journalists face the threat of financial ruin through lawsuits over corruption investigations. A notable example is the case of Pelin Ünker in Turkey, involved in the analysis of the infamous 'Paradise Papers,’ detailed in an article by Asuman Aranca. The judiciary's attack on journalism in both Russia and Turkey has significant implications for the freedom of press and the very concept of democracy. In Russia, the result has been an all out war. In Turkey, the process is still ongoing. Despite the risks, journalists in these nations continue to strive for the truth, highlighting the dire need for international support to safeguard press freedom.