Serena Shim, a reporter for Press TV, Iran’s English-language news channel, has been accused of “spying” by Turkish authorities.
According to the Reporters Club, Hamidreza Emadi, the director of the Press TV news department, said: “I have spoken with Ms. Serena Shim and she told me that upon her leaving the hotel for the purpose of news coverage, a number of Turkish Security officials went to the hotel and made inquiries about her, and when they were told that she is only a news reporter, they made accusations of espionage against her and said that she should be immediately reported to the authorities.”
Emadi maintained that the reason for the accusations may be Ms. Shim’s coverage of “Daesh (ISIS) terrorist activities in Kobani and neighbouring areas.”
He added that for now, Ms. Shim has only been questioned and is currently free.
Turkey has not been very responsive to international efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and some have even accused it of supporting ISIS activities.
