In response to our call for action, twelve organisations sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice of Turkey,  General Director of Prisons and Detention Houses, Chief Judge of the Court of Cassation’s 16th Chamber  with respect to lawyer Turan Canpolat has been in prison for 50 months and has been held in solitary confinement. His appeal is still to be considered by the Court of Cassation after 14 months.

In the letter,  Turkey was urged to

• end the solitary confinement of Lawyer Turan Canpolat,
• immediately release him from detention;
• comply with fundamental rights, international conventions and obligations;
• stop targeting (in un unjustified manner and especially using anti-terrorism measures), key players in the protection of human rights, as lawyers certainly are.

Signatory Organisations

1. 1. FIDU – Italian Federation for Human Rights – Italy
   2. IDHAE – L’Observatoire mondial des Avocats – Luxemburg
   3. Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People’s Lawyers– France
   4. Lawyers Rights Watch Canada – Canada
   5. Open Dialogue Foundation – Belgium
   6. Plataforma Pro Derechos y Libertades – Spain
   7. PPJ – Platform for Peace and Justice – Belgium
   8. SACC – Scotland Against Criminalising Communities – Scotland
   9. The Arrested Lawyers Initiative – Belgium
   10. The Foundation The Day of The Endangered Lawyer – Netherlands
   11. Boye-Elbal & Asociados – Spain
   12. Vogelaar Advocatuur – Netherlands

Categories: International Advocacy, Unjust / Wrongful Convictions