Turkish journalist detained after article showing low conviction in money laundering cases

Turkish journalist Cemgin Erdinc has been detained on Thursday, lawyer Vural Ergul said in a post on social media.

Ergul told +Gercek that the police arrived at Erdinc's house while he was talking on the phone with Erdinc. He said he could not yet receive any information over which allegations Erdinc was detained, adding that the journalist's phone and computer were seized by the police.

State news agency AA said that Erdinc was detained on an allegation of "spreading misleading information."

Erdinc, a columnist in Kisa Dalga, is a journalist focusing on organized crime, and his latest article on money laundering in Turkey was published on Monday.

He provides figures in his article showing that the conviction rate in money laundering cases in recent years is dramatically low and that many of the investigations in these cases have not even resulted in indictments.

His detention followed the arrest of journalist Tolga Sardan, one of Turkey's leading reporters on organized crime. Sardan was taken into custody yesterday, on an accusation of "spreading misleading information" by his recent article on a National İntelligence Agency report on the corruption in the justice system.