3 LAWYERS WERE SENTENCED TO 9 YEARS IMPRISONMENT IN ADANA 

Lawyers Mustafa Kokten, Mehmet Aygun and Melek Sarı were sentenced to 9 years 2 months imprisonment with charge on being member of armed terrorist organisation by Adana 11th High Penal Court on 29th September.

Lawyer Mustafa Kokten has been under arrest since 2 September 2016; Mehmet Aygun who was released before was re-arrested with the verdict of conviction. Lawyer Melek Sari was not arrested because of being sufferer of stage 4 cancer.

Lawyers Mustafa Kokten, Mehmet Aygun, Melek Sarı (left-to-right)

 

9 LAWYERS WERE SENTENCED TO RANGING FROM 3 to 9 YEARS IN SIVAS

9 of 13 defendant lawyers were sentenced to ranging from 3 to 9 years imprisonment with charge on being member of armed terrorist organisation by Sivas 2nd High Penal Court; the remaining four lawyers acquitted.

Omer N., Halil Ibrahim D, Fatih S., Erdal O, Dilek F.T. and other 4 lawyers were sentenced to ranging from 3 to 9 years on the hearing dated 25th September. The Court released the four lawyers  (who are under arrest for more than one year) at the end of the summary judgement.

Lawyers Omer N., Halil Ibrahim D, Fatih S., Erdal O, Dilek F.T. (left-to-right)

3 LAWYERS WERE ARRESTED IN ISPARTA

3 of the 4 lawyers taken into custody in the province of Isparta on Tuesday were arrested on 28th September.

While lawyers L.E, I.A.S. and H.E.S were arrested, C.K. was released with probation.

Lawyers Levent E, Ismail A.S, Hanzala E.S (left-to-right)

4 lawyers were taken into custody after the search warrant executed in their offices and residences on Tuesday.

As of today, a total of 10 lawyers, -including the arrested 8 lawyer- are under prosecution in Isparta.

1 LAWYER WAS ARRESTED IN ISTANBUL

Lawyer Ahmet Mandacı who was taken into custody along with other 15 lawyers on 12th September and was released on 21st September, got arrested by Istanbul Peace Criminal Judge on 30 September after prosecutor’s objection. Thus number of the lawyers who got arrested because of representing Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca increased to 15.

7 LAWYERS WERE ARRESTED IN IZMIR 

14 of the detained 35 lawyers in Izmir on 22nd September were referred to Izmir Courthouse on 27th of September. While 2 lawyers were released after gave their (defence) statements to the prosecutor, 12 lawyers were referred to the peace criminal judge for arrest. 5 lawyers -M.Ö, S.O, F.A, L.B. and M.D.- were arrested with charge of being member of armed terrorist organisation. Other 8 lawyers were released with probation.

The remaining 21 lawyers were referred to Izmir Courthouse on 28th September and 2 more lawyers -A.F.T, A.Ç- were arrested with charge of being member of armed terrorist organisation and 19 lawyers were released with probation today. Thus, 7 lawyers were arrested in Izmir in the last week.

As of today, a total of 94 lawyers, including the arrested 43 and the wanted 13 lawyers, are under prosecution in Izmir.

Situation in Turkey

As of 1st October 2017, 550 lawyers have been arrested (since 15th July 2016) and 1390 lawyers are under prosecution. Some of the arrested lawyers were subjected torture and ill-treatment.

14 of detained or arrested lawyers are the presidents or former presidents of provincial bars associations.

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. 

So far; Erzincan 2nd High Penal Court sentenced lawyers Cemalettin Ozer and Talip Nayir who are (respectively) former president of Erzincan Bar Association and former board member of association 8 years 9 month and 10 years, Eskisehir 2nd High Penal Court sentenced 11 lawyers to range 4 to 12 years. Also Sivas 2nd High Penal Court and Adana 11th High Penal Court sentenced lawyers to ranging from 3 to 9 years imprisonment with charge on being member of armed terrorist organisation.

All persecuted lawyers are being charged with terror linked offences such as being member of armed terrorist organisation or to run armed terrorist organisation. Pursuant to Turkish Penal Code, these two offences require 7,5 to 22,5 years imprisonment.

In addition to these lawyers, at least 149 public (gov’t) attorneys & legal advisers, 108 law schools academics were dismissed with emergency decrees, most of them were also detained or arrested. As the most recent ring of Erdogan’s persecution chain, nine respected human rights defenders including the chair and director of Amnesty International Turkey Branch were arrested.

The Turkish government has also targeted Turkish lawyers’ right to association. 34 different lawyers’ societies or associations have been shut down since the declaration of the state of emergency. Following their closing down by a government decree, all their assets have also been confiscated without compensation.

Also, 5218 judges and prosecutors were dismissed and they were subsequently arrested. There are still 2600 judges and public prosecutors in prison with nearly 680 of them in solitary confinement.

According to The World Justice Project’s annual report entitled “Rule of Law Index 2016″, Turkey is on 99th rank amongst 113 countries. Turkey is on 105th rank in terms of “fundamental rights” and on 108th rank in terms of “constraints on government powers” amongst 113 countries.