There has been a relentless campaign of arrests which has targeted fellow lawyers across the country. In 77 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, lawyers have been detained and arrested on trumped-up charges as part of criminal investigations orchestrated by the political authorities and conducted by provincial public prosecutors. As of today, 522 lawyers have been arrested and 1315 lawyers are under prosecution.
14 of persecuted lawyers are presidents or former presidents of the provincial bar associations. President of Konya Bar Association Fevzi Kayacan, President of Trabzon Bar Association Orhan Ongoz, President of Siirt Bar Association Cemal Acar, President of Gumushane Bar Association Ismail Tastan were arrested and then unseated. Former Presidents of Manisa, Erzurum, Erzincan, Afyon Bar Associations Zeynel Balkiz, Mehmet Guzel, Cemalettin Ozer, Mehmet Akalin were arrested too.
In addition to all; presidents of the Aksaray and Kahramanmaras Bar Associations, Levent Bozkurt and Vahit Bagci and former presidents of Yozgat Bar Association Haci Ibis and Fahri Acikgoz were detained and then released.
So far, former president of Erzincan Bar Association Cemalettin Ozer and former member of board Talip Nayir were sentenced (respectively) to 9 and 10 years with trumped-up charges as part of criminal investigations orchestrated by the political authorities and conducted by provincial judicial authorities.
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Categories: Situation in Turkey