Istanbul, Turkey, on January 19, 2026. KHALIL HAMRA / AP
A French journalist was one of 10 people arrested in Istanbul late Monday, January 19, at a protest over a Syrian government offensive targeting Kurdish fighters, the pro-Kurdish DEM party told AFP. Raphael Boukandoura, who works for various French publications including Ouest-France and Courrier international, was arrested outside DEM's Istanbul headquarters in the Sancaktepe district, it said.
His arrest was also confirmed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), who called for him to be freed without delay.
"We call for the immediate release of our colleague who did nothing but his legitimate duty to cover a protest," RSF's Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu told AFP.
"RSF is closely following his case and calls on the authorities to put an end to such arbitrary interference against media professionals," he said.
