The murder trial of Tahir Elçi, a prominent Kurdish human rights lawyer and then president of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, who was shot dead in November 2015, is now overshadowed by serious allegations of impunity, prosecutorial misconduct and torture of witnesses.
Situation in Turkey
Turkey: TALI and IBAHRI release report on the mass imprisonment of lawyers in Turkey
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and The Arrested Lawyers Initiative have released a detailed report highlighting the declining independence of the legal profession and bar associations in Turkey. The report underscores the targeting of law professionals through unfair trials, arbitrary detainment, imprisonment and harassment, as well as the alarming misuse of counter-terrorism legislation to prosecute lawyers in the course of their legitimate work.
Istanbul lawyer Akıncı faces prosecution over his tweet
Legal quagmire: Lawyer Eyup Akıncı’s comments on judicial corruption lead to his house arrest and Iidictment.
International Coalition Raises Concerns Over Treatment of Lawyers in Turkey
After a fact-finding mission, the international coalition expressed profound concern over the ongoing harassment, arbitrary detention, and mistreatment of lawyers in Turkey.
Turkey / Dire prison conditions: Overcrowding and lack of healthcare
A joint report of Urfa Bar and two NGOs has unveiled deeply disturbing conditions, including rights violations, cases of torture, and health-related complaints among prisoners.
Victim Claims Beating by Prosecutor While in Custody
Deutsche Welle Turkish has reported that a victim named Ö.K. was beaten by an Ankara prosecutor while in custody.