Author Archives
A rights group consists of lawyers making advocacy to ensure lawyers and human rights defenders perform their duty without fear of intimidation, reprisal and judicial harassment.
The Arrested Lawyers Initiative is the member of the International Observatory for Lawyers.
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New report: How Erdoğan’s government dismantled judicial independence
The TLSP report illustrates the systematic capture of Türkiye’s judiciary by President Erdoğan’s regime, detailing how politically motivated prosecutions have manipulated legal processes to target dissenters, particularly lawyers and human rights defenders, eroding judicial independence and perpetrating human rights violations.
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Council of Europe Documents Persistent Human Rights Concerns in Türkiye
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, criticizes Türkiye’s misuse of anti-terror laws to suppress dissent, highlighting immense pressure on lawyers and civil society, judicial non-compliance, and a lack of independence in the justice system.
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ECBA Human Rights Award to the Arrested Lawyers Initiative
Ali Yildiz received the 2025 Scott Crosby Human Rights Award from the European Criminal Bar Association for his work with the Arrested Lawyers Initiative, which supports persecuted lawyers in Turkey and advocates for human rights worldwide.
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Tiny Hands, Big Walls: Story of a Turkish Mother and a Baby in Prison
Turkish lawyer, Elif Hendekci, recounts her and her baby’s harrowing experience in prison. Imprisoned for providing legal aid to dissidents, Hendekci faces abuse and bureaucratic indifference in jail, struggling to protect her daughter amidst a system lacking empathy and basic human rights. Her story exposes political repression and inhumanity within Turkey’s incarceration system post-2016.
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Turkey: Minister of Justice is engulfed by corruption accusations
Akın Gürlek, Turkey’s new Justice Minister, faces scrutiny over his alleged vast wealth acquired during his judicial career. Opposition leader Özgür Özel claims Gürlek’s real estate assets worth approximately ₺452 million exceed what a judge’s salary could justify, raising serious concerns over judicial accountability.
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Inside the Leviathan: The State Tried to Erase Lawyer Hallaçoğlu — He Fought Back
Ruhi Hallaçoğlu, a Turkish lawyer, became a victim of state oppression following the 2016 coup attempt. He was detained for years under inhumane conditions, with even his legal consultations monitored, yet he continued to fight from his prison cell. He won three cases before the European Court of Human Rights, vindicating his struggle, which should symbolize defiance against the unchecked power of the state.