
There is some good news for press freedom in Turkey.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported Thursday that Turkish courts freed eight journalists from prison over the course of two days. The organization noted,
Turkey has been the leading jailer of journalists for the past two years, according to the CPJ's records. There were 40 journalists in prison there in 2013. Iran came in second, with 35.
The news was not all good, however. The charges against the freed journalists remain, and CPJ called on the Turkish government to drop the charges and free the rest of the jailed journalists in the country. The journalists are still set to be tried in criminal court, while five others remain in prison in relation to the case dealt with on Wednesday.
The release of the eight journalists came after Turkey abolished the Turkish Courts of Special Authority. Visit CPJ for the full report.