'We believe journalists in Turkey are detained arbitrarily', says spokesperson Nauert of US
During the press briefing on Thursday (July 27), USA Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert responded to a question on the current trials of journalists, executives, lawyers, and staff from Turkey’s opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet.
Stating the US ‘remains seriously concerned about the widespread arrest and pretrial detention that’s taking place’, Spokesperson Nauert said the US will continue urging the government of Turkey to ‘respect and ensure freedom of expression, fair trial guarantees, judicial independence, other human rights and fundamental freedoms’ and also to release journalists and all others who Nauert said US believes are being held ‘arbitrarily’ under the current state of emergency laws in the country.