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The German National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) today issued a statement in which Dr. Carl-Eugen Eberle, the chairman of the committee and of IPI’s Executive Board, praised the release of Turkish journalist Nedim Şener from prison and noted the importance of international solidarity among journalists.

The full text of the committee’s statement is below.

Turkish Journalist Nedim Şener Released from Prison

Turkish journalist Nedim Şener was released on Mar. 12, 2012 from Silviri prison, near Istanbul. He was taken into custody over a year ago, together with other people, accused of being a member of the secret organisation, “Ergenekon”. The charges brought against Şener as well as journalists Ahmet Şık, Sait Çakır and Coskun Musluk were primarily based on their alleged tie to the website OdaTV. Now he – together with his fellow journalists – have been freed on a court’s order.

The International Press Institute (IPI), a Vienna-based global network of media executives, leading journalists and media professionals, strongly campaigned for Nedim Şener’s release. In 2010, Nedim Şener was named an IPI World Press Freedom Hero in recognition of his outstanding work as an investigative journalist. On numerous occasions, the IPI Turkish National Committee as well as the IPI Executive Board and IPI members around the world publicly called for the release of Nedim Şener and the other three journalists.

“I am glad about the release of Nedim Şener and his fellow journalists. This also represents a great example of the importance of international solidarity aimed at defending press freedom,” Carl-Eugen Eberle, chairman of the IPI Executive Board and of the IPI German National Committee, said about Nedim Şener’s release.

Wiesbaden, March 14, 2012