Vice News reporter Mohammed Rasool released on bail after 131 days in detainment
Vice News announced earlier today (5th January) that reporter Mohammed Rasool, who has been detained in a Turkish prison for the last 131 days, has been released on bail.
Mohammed Rasool, credit: VICE
Vice launched an extensive campaign, #freerasool, after he was arrested and imprisoned by Turkish police on 27 August 2015, along with his colleagues Phil Pendlebury and Jake Hanrahan.
The three were arrested while reporting on clashes between police and youth members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey and were taken to a maximum security prison. The journalists were then accused of Turkish police of "working on behalf of a terrorist organisation."
After human rights and freedom-of-expression organisations around the world appealed for the trio's release, British journalists Pendlebury and Hanrahan were released on 3 September 2015 after 11 days in the prison. However, Rasool, an Iraqi, has remained in detainment until now.
According to Vice a document issued by a court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir stated that no bail payment was made, that Rasool was detained "as a protective measure," and he cannot leave the country.
Not yet a free man, he must report twice a week to a police station near his residence in Turkey.
Image used with permission of Vice Media.