E. Barış Altıntaş, Journalist
The spine-chilling murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 is possibly etched in the memories of many. The Washington Post columnist had an appointment at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and he could never leave. He was assassinated brutally and dismembered.
Maybe this is the most memorable and extreme case. But at least 25 other governments have targeted journalists abroad, according to Freedom House.[1], which has identified 112 incidents against journalists from 2014 to 2023, including assault, detention, unlawful deportation, rendition, and, as in the case of Khashoggi, assassination.
According to a report from Insider, starting in the fall of 2022, a new wave of poisonings affected journalists and activists who have left Russia. In October, Elena Kostyuchenko, a journalist for “Novaya Gazeta” and “Meduza,” was poisoned in Munich. A week later, Irina Babloyan, a journalist from “Echo of Moscow,” experienced almost identical symptoms in Tbilisi. In the spring, Natalia Arno, the head of the “Free Russia” Foundation, was poisoned with a neurotoxic substance.[2].
In 2021, the exiled Turkish journalist Erk Acarer, who has lived in Germany since 2017 due to government pressures, was attacked with “fists and knives” outside his apartment in Berlin. The attack came shortly after a list targeting exiled journalists in Germany was published.[3].
In other words, for some journalists, leaving the country might not always guarantee safety. At least one journalist who had an experience with Russian intelligence offers I have heard of refused to speak openly. However, in terms of direct threats from the home country, most exiled journalists say they feel safer than they would have stayed — which was the main reason for their fleeing in the first place.
Metin Cihan, the journalist who had to leave after reporting on the murder of an 11-year-old in Turkey, acknowledges the uncertainty and fear that influenced him to continue journalistic work abroad, which further solidified his inability to return to Turkey, as new investigations and arrest warrants were issued against him.
Cihan expresses mixed feelings about his departure but recognizes the necessity of his work, “Sometimes I think I shouldn’t have left, but then I realize some of the work I did wouldn’t have been possible if I were still in Turkey. And someone needs to do these things.”
As Andrey Shashkov puts it, “I think Berlin is generally a very safe city. However, my colleague and acquaintance Irina Babloyan was tried to be poisoned in Germany. As we know, agents of the Russian security services have been very active here since the Cold War, perhaps more so than in any other Western European capital. But I was hopefully not so famous in Russia that I was at the top of their target/victim list. Overall, I feel safer than not.”
“Georgia is very safe – and generally has a relaxed pace of life. There are many opportunities for self-realization,” says Alexandr Pichugin.
However, perils continue for journalists in exile, especially for those crossing borders and for those who might be obliged to return to their home country for an urgent need.
Banu Acun was detained by Turkish authorities after starting to return to her career in exile.
Despite the initial despondence, the Istanbul elections of 2019 reignited a glimmer of hope in her. It prompted her to ponder if the democratic change was possible if she could contribute from afar to support her colleagues resisting in Turkey. This period marked a rekindling of her passion for journalism, leading her to contribute to a news website founded by her friends.
Acun’s return to journalism, however, did not come without its perils. Her investigative work, particularly an inquiry into why the Colombian authorities did not inform the Turkish government about a significant cocaine haul, drew ire from the Turkish authorities. She was briefly detained at Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul on May 7, 2023, during a visit to Turkey. She was charged with inciting hatred and insulting institutions, and her trial is ongoing.
This article is a part of the publication titled “In the Shadow of Two Palaces“
[1] How Authoritarian Regimes Go After Journalists Beyond Their Borders, By Michael J. Abramowitz and Jessica White, published first on December 6, 2023, 11:00 AM EST https://time.com/6342534/transnational-repression-freedom-house/
[2] Уже не «Новичок»: что известно о новой волне отравлений журналистов и активистов в Европе”, The Insider, 15 August 2023. [Online]. Available: https://theins.ru/politika/264260.
[3] Germany: Exiled Turkish Journalist Attacked Outside His Apartment in Berlin”, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), [Online]. Available: https://www.mfrr.eu/germany-exiled-turkish-journalist-attacked-outside-his-apartment-in-berlin/
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