Police raided the Mesopotamia News Agency (MA) office in Van (Wan), seized computers and hard drives, and detained the journalist Dindar Karataş, according to reports.

Upon the request of the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the decision made by the Van 1st Criminal Court of Peace, police raided the office and detained Karataş. Reportedly, the police confiscated the computer used by Karataş as well as letters from prison and three hard drives belonging to the Mesopotamia Agency. After the search, the police officers, who wrote a report for the confiscated materials, handcuffed Karataş.

MA reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, Jin News reporter Şehbiran Abi and journalist Nazan Sala were arrested after they reported that Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut were thrown from a military helicopter by soldiers on 11 September, in the Çatak district of Van, Turkey. The Mesopotamia Agency was also raided on 6 October, and the agency’s news equipment was confiscated.