A Turkish court on Tuesday remanded in custody seven journalists for covering the mass protests that erupted following the arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, in a crackdown that has now seen more than 1,400 people arrested, reports AFP.
Among the journalists placed under arrest by the Istanbul court was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who was seen being escorted away to jail.
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced the move as "scandalous".
Vast crowds have hit the streets daily since the March 19 move against Istanbul's popular opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, prompting nightly clashes with riot police that have spread across the country.
With security forces using water cannon, pepper spray and rubber bullets against protesters, the Council of Europe denounced a "disproportionate" use of force while Human Rights Watch warned that this is a "dark time for democracy" in Turkey. Akgul, one of 10 journalists rounded up by police in dawn raids on Monday, had earlier yesterday been granted conditional release by the court along with six other journalists.
But shortly afterwards, prosecutors revised their decision and the court decided to remand them all in custody on grounds of taking part in an "illegal" protest.
"This is the first time that a clearly-identified journalist has, in the exercise of his duties, been formally arrested on the basis of this law against gatherings and demonstrations," RSF's Erol Onderoglu told AFP following the decision about Akgul, the first to be announced.
