Surveillance, Secrecy and Self-Censorship

The silenced voice of journalist Can Dündar is the preface of this report. On the morning of 24 November 2015, Can Dündar, who had been working on this document, told us he had almost finished his final draft and would send it to us before the end of the weekend. That day he attended a court hearing about his case in Istanbul, where he was accused of ‘divulging state secrets’ and detained solely for carrying out his responsibilities as a professional journalist. Such charges could see him face life imprisonment. As I write this, he is awaiting trial in Silivri prison in Istanbul.

The person chosen to present this report - Surveillance, Secrecy and Self-censorship: New Digital Freedom Challenges in Turkey – lost his freedom. A voice has been muted; a critical mind put behind bars; a committed journalist prevented from practising his profession. What clearer symbol could there be of the present situation of freedom of expression in Turkey?