French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura. Photo provided by his family. HANDOUT / AFP
A French journalist, arrested for covering a pro-Kurdish protest in Istanbul and who was facing possible deportation, has been released, he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, January 21.
Raphaël Boukandoura, 35, who has lived legally in Turkey for at least a decade and holds an official press card, was covering the protest for French daily Libération when he was arrested on Monday evening.
His lawyer, Emine Ozhasar, confirmed his release, telling AFP they were still waiting to hear details. It was not immediately clear if the charges against him had been dropped. She earlier said Boukandoura had been transferred to a detention centre for migrants, facing possible deportation.
His arrest on Monday evening at a protest called by the pro-Kurdish opposition party DEM sparked concern from rights groups and the French government. The French foreign ministry said it hoped Boukandoura would be "freed as quickly as possible" in a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday.
