Turkish authorities have placed lawyer Naim Eminoğlu, a board member of the Istanbul branch of the Progressive Lawyers Association (Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği – ÇHD), in pretrial detention following a police raid on his law office, according to statements by his colleagues and international legal organisations.
Eminoğlu, who also works with the People’s Law Office (Halkın Hukuk Bürosu – HHB), was taken into custody during a police operation conducted in the early hours of 10 December 2025. He was brought before a criminal peace judgeship and formally arrested on 11 December 2025 on accusations of membership in the FETÖ/PDY armed terrorist organisation, charges that he and his legal representatives strongly deny.
Anonymous Tip and Alleged Evidence
According to the ÇHD Istanbul Branch, the investigation against Eminoğlu was initiated following an anonymous email sent to law enforcement on 14 October 2025. The message alleged that Eminoğlu had studied at Melikşah University in Kayseri—an institution later closed by the government after the 2016 coup attempt—and claimed that he had stayed in student residences allegedly linked to the Gülen movement.
ÇHD maintains that the file contains no concrete evidence of criminal activity. The grounds cited for detention reportedly include Eminoğlu’s university education, his residence in a shared student apartment during his studies, and historical phone records showing contact with individuals who were later subjected to investigations over the Gulen Movement links.
Disputed Phone Records
The lawyers’ association has described the reliance on phone records as “particularly problematic,” noting that some of the calls cited date back to 2008, when Eminoğlu was reportedly 15 years old and still a high school student. According to the statement, several individuals referenced in the call logs were teachers or classmates rather than alleged members of any organisation.
ÇHD argues that none of the elements cited meet the legal threshold required under Article 314 of the Turkish Penal Code, which governs armed organisation membership.
Background and Professional Activity
Born in 1993 in Kahramanmaraş, Eminoğlu completed his legal education after transferring to Gazi University Faculty of Law, graduating following the closure of Melikşah University. He joined ÇHD in 2015 while still a law student.
In 2017, Eminoğlu was previously detained and tried on charges related to his political views, remaining in prison until December 2019, when he was released. Although he completed his legal internship, his law licence was later revoked. According to ÇHD, the Constitutional Court of Turkey subsequently ruled that the revocation violated his rights, enabling him to resume his profession.
Eminoğlu has worked on cases involving labour rights, mining disasters, prison hunger strikes, and legal accountability following the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, representing families seeking justice after large-scale building collapses in southern Turkey.
International Condemnation
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has expressed “deep regret” over Eminoğlu’s arrest and has joined 27 national and international legal organisations in calling for his immediate release
In a joint statement dated 11 December 2025, the organisations said they were “deeply concerned” by the police operation targeting the People’s Law Office and the detention of Eminoğlu, describing the accusations of a “connection to the Gülen organisation” as unfounded and inconsistent with his long-standing work defending rights and freedoms.
Recent Public Statements
Just three days before his detention, Eminoğlu participated in a press conference organised by the Justice for Earthquake Victims Platform, where he criticised provisions of the government’s 11th Judicial Reform Package, warning that proposed amendments could lead to impunity for those responsible for deaths in the earthquakes.
Ongoing Developments
ÇHD Istanbul has described Eminoğlu’s detention as politically motivated and based on anonymous denunciations rather than evidence. The association said it would continue legal challenges and public advocacy demanding his release.
Turkish judicial authorities have not yet issued a detailed public response to the allegations raised by Eminoğlu’s lawyers or the international legal organisations.
Background: Mass Prosecution of Lawyers in Turkey
The detention of Naim Eminoğlu comes amid longstanding concerns raised by international legal organisations regarding the systematic targeting of lawyers in Turkey.
In February 2024, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and The Arrested Lawyers Initiative (TALI) jointly published a report titled A Profession on Trial: The Systematic Crackdown Against Lawyers in Turkey. The report documents what it describes as a sustained erosion of the independence of the legal profession and bar associations across the country.
According to the report, lawyers in 77 of Turkey’s 81 provinces have been detained, prosecuted, or convicted following the 2016 coup attempt, frequently on the basis of vaguely defined counter-terrorism offences. Charges most commonly include membership of an armed terrorist organisation or spreading terrorist propaganda under Article 314 of the Turkish Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Law No. 3713.
The report highlights the widespread practice of conflating lawyers with their clients, resulting in prosecutions linked to legal representation rather than personal conduct. It states that more than 1,700 lawyers have been prosecuted, around 700 have been placed in pretrial detention, and at least 553 lawyers have been sentenced, receiving a combined total of 3,380 years in prison.
IBAHRI and TALI warned that the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against legal professionals has had a chilling effect on the right to defence and access to justice. They note that Turkey was designated the focus country for the Day of the Endangered Lawyer in 2019, and conclude that conditions for the legal profession have further deteriorated since that time.
Categories: Situation in Turkey, Unjust / Wrongful Convictions