Dutch journalist detained in Turkey for the second time

AMSTERDAM – Cihan News Agency

A Dutch journalist based in southeastern Diyarbakır province was detained Sept. 6 by the police for the second time, Netherland official news agency ANP has reported.

Frederike Geerdink was detained at around 2 a.m., as she was following the Democratic Peoples’ Party’s (HDP) program.

“I am in custody in Yüksekova,” Geerdink tweeted, adding she was with members of the human shield group who were also detained.

im in custody in yüksekova.

— Frederike Geerdink (@fgeerdink) 6 Eylül 2015

Thomas Bruning, the secretary general of Netherlands Journalists (NVJ), told ANP it was unacceptable the journalists had been arrested in Turkey.

The report also said the Dutch Embassy in Ankara was closely watching Geerdink’s detainment.

Geerdink was first detained in Diyarbakır in January at a time that coincided with the visit of Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, who had harshly criticized the journalist’s detainment.

A lawsuit was opened against Geerdink on charges of producing “terrorist propaganda” on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) however she was acquitted of those charges in April.

Geerdink has been working in Turkey since 2006 and has been in Diyarbakır for three years.