Lawyer Ismail Onur Aktan who is member of Kocaeli Bar Association, was sentenced to 6 years 3 months after 11 months pre-trial detention. Lawyer Mr. Aktan who is member of Kocaeli Bar Association was arrested in 2016’s August with accusation of being member of armed terrorist organisation.

He was accused with terrorism offence because of downloading i-message application called BYLOCK. BYLOCK is an i-message application that was downloadable via Google Play Store and Apple Store but Erdogan regime claims that it is secret communication application of Gulenists.

Mr. Aktan said in his defense speech that he downloaded BYLOCK application from Google Play Store but never used it. Kocaeli 2nd High Penal Court sentenced lawyer Mr. Aktan to 6 years 3 months only because of downloading this i-message application. Lawyer Mr. Aktan was released by the court but if the verdict of conviction is approved by higher court, he’ll be arrested again to serve remaining term of sentence.

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.

Categories: Unjust / Wrongful Convictions