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AYTAÇ ÜNSAL has to be released

Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Utrecht, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Athens, 16th December 2020

It is unacceptable that lawyer Aytaç Ünsal, convicted in an unfair trial, has been tortured and sent to prison despite his health conditions. Our colleague has to be released immediately.

People’s Lawyer Aytaç Ünsal, was taken into custody in Edirne in the evening of the 9th of December 2020. Previously, on the 3rd of September 2020, he had been released by the Court of Cassation, which postponed the execution of his sentence due to the deterioration of his health as a result of his long hunger strike (213 days) demanding the right to a fair trial. The other lawyer who went on hunger strike with him, Ebru Timtik, died from her prolonged fast.  

Recently, on the 23rd of November, police raided the house where Aytaç Ünsal was being treated. The raid put him on high risk of infection due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the collapse of his already weak immune system. Furthermore, Aytaç Ünsal’s colleagues, who were present in the house during the police raid, were also detained and their belongings plundered.

Aytaç Ünsal, in very fragile health conditions as a result of the hunger strike, was tortured by the political police when he was taken into custody in Edirne. Our colleague was taken off the vehicle and laid on the ground, stepped on, and his head hit the asphalt ground. Due to this fall, Aytaç Ünsal’s face and various parts of his body were injured.

AED/EDL calls on the Turkish authorities to restore the rule of law and stop the practice of targeting lawyers. By aggressing the Defence, personified in this case by Aytaç Ünsal, Turkish authorities are in fact attacking the rule of law and human rights in Turkey.

It must be highlighted that Aytaç Ünsal has been attacked in his role as a human rights defender and we therefore call on the Turkish authorities to let him, as well as all other lawyers, to work freely and safely.

The international community is alarmed by the way Turkish judiciary displays, especially in terrorism-related cases, unprecedented levels of disregard for even the most basic principles of law, such as presumption of innocence, the necessity of a crime to justify a punishment, the non-retroactivity of crimes and the principle of non bis in idem (that is, not being judged for the same facts twice, as is the case in two ÇHD trials). At the same time, procedural guarantees such as adversarial proceedings, equality of arms and the right to a lawyer, are clearly and permanently eroded in these trials against lawyers.

Therefore, we call on the Turkish authorities to guarantee the independence of lawyers, and to protect procedural fair-trial guarantees. Furthermore, we raise concerns about recent developments jeopardising the effectiveness of the defense of human rights in Turkey. We stress the importance of civil society organisations and human rights defenders in a democratic society, as a vital and fundamental body for the defence of fundamental rights.

Finally, AED/EDL would like to draw attention to the worrying information we have received concerning the arrest and detention of human rights lawyers working for the non-governmental organization People’s Law Office (HALKIN HUKUK BÜROSU) under accusations of membership in a terrorist organization.

According to the information received:

We express grave concern regarding the allegations of arrest and prosecution under accusation of membership in a terrorist organization of the above-mentioned lawyers of the People’s Law Office. Moreover, serious concern is expressed at the mounting number of human rights defenders and lawyers under investigation for alleged links to terrorist organizations in Turkey, which seems to evidence a pattern of using this type of offence to target individuals and organizations legitimately expressing dissent with the policies of the current Turkish Government.

We declare the detention of this Human Rights defendants arbitrary, and we demand the Turkish Government to take all necessary measures to guarantee their right not to be deprived arbitrarily of their liberty and to ensure fair proceedings before an independent and impartial court, in accordance with articles 9, 10 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Turkey on 23 September 2003.

We would also like to draw attention to the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which stipulate that governments have the duty to ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference, and that lawyers shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics (Principle 16).

We would lastly like to highlight the fundamental principles set forth in articles 1 and 2 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which provide for the right to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

In view of the urgency of the matter, we urge the Turkish authorities to safeguard the rights and life of lawyer Aytaç Ünsal, in compliance with international instruments and to free him immediately.

We urge the Turkish authorities to provide clear information on the measures adopted to respect the fundamental rights and life of Aytaç Ünsal.

Founded in 1987, the Association of European Democratic Lawyers (AED) is a confederation of trade unions and lawyers’ organizations with the same democratic, modern and humane ideals in Europe. The AED intends to defend the rights of citizens by preserving the independence of lawyers with regard to any political, social, economic or ordinal power. As a professional organization, its international purpose is to ensure respect for the rights of the defense and, in particular, to safeguard the physical integrity and political and economic freedom of lawyers. The association also works to ensure that all individuals have access to national and international judicial appeals, particularly those who are in the most precarious situations and whose basic rights are not recognized or poorly recognized.

MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS:

– Syndicat des Avocats de France (S.A.F.- France)

– Republikanischer Anwältinnen und Anwälteverein (RAV – Germany)

– Associació Catalana per a la Defensa dels Drets Humans (A.C.D.D.H- Catalonia)

– De Vereniging Sociale Advokatuur Nederland (VSAN – Holland)

– Syndicat des Avocats pour la Démocratie (S.A D. – Belgium)

– Asociación Libre de Abogados y Abogadas (ALA – Madrid)

– Legal Team Italia (L.T.I. – Italy)

– Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ÇHD – Turkey)

– ΕΝΩΣΗ ΔΙΚΗΓΟΡΩΝ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΕΡΑΣΠΙΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΜΕΛΙΩΔΩΝ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΩΝ (Greece)

– Komaleye Hıquqnasên ji bo azadiyê (ÖHD – Kurdish)

https://www.aeud.org

https://www.facebook.com/aed.edl1987/

twitter: @AED_EDL

telegram: https://t.me/AED_EDL

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The judicial scandal has to come to an end – the imprisoned lawyers must be released

On November 11, the ÇHD I criminal case, which started in 2013, will continue at the 1st instance, before the 18th Heavy Penal Court in Istanbul. The victims of this long lasting trial are the accused 22 lawyers, all members of the Turkish Lawyers’ Organization ÇHD (Progressive Lawyers of Turkey) and all working in one of the two offices of the People’s Law Office. At the opening of the trial, 9 of the accused had already served 11 months in pre-trial detention. However, in order not to put a disproportionate burden on the defendants, the court released the last defendants from pre-trial detention 14 months after their arrest in January 2013.

The trial could have ended long ago if the prosecution had not initiated a second criminal case (ÇHD II trial) in 2018, with the approval of the 37th Heavy Penal Court, also against lawyers of the ÇHD and the People’s Law Office. 8 of the 20 lawyers accused in this case were also accused in the ÇHD I trial. In both proceedings, the defendants are accused of supporting, being members of, or directing a terrorist organization, on the same evidence. In September 2017, pre-trial detention was ordered for the defendants. One year later, the proceedings were opened. After the first week of hearings, the court ordered the release of all defendants from pre-trial detention. After an appeal by the public prosecutor’s office, 13 lawyers were again remanded in custody.

What the 18th Criminal Chamber failed to achieve in 4 years, the 37th Heavy Penal Court achieved in half a year after the opening of the proceedings. The accused were sentenced to prison terms between 2 and over 18 years. The sentences were largely confirmed in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The public prosecutor’s office and the 37th Heavy Penal Court were aware of the proceedings pending before the 18th Criminal Chamber when the new proceedings were opened. They were also aware that 8 defendants in the ÇHD II trial had already been charged in the ÇHD I trial. They likewise knew that the principle “ne bis in idem” prohibits sentencing defendants twice for the same crime. The prosecutors and the 37th Heavy Penal Court must answer as to why they interfered in the current ÇHD I trial by opening a second trial. The convictions by the 37 Heavy Penal Court prevent the 18th Heavy Penal Court from pronouncing sentences on identical defendants. The 18th Heavy Penal Court is therefore also prevented from pronouncing lesser sentences, stopping the proceedings against the accused, or acquitting the accused. This situation currently affects the following defendants: Att. Selçuk Kozağaçlı , Att. Barkin Timtik, Att. Oya Aslan and Att.Günay Dag.

The Commission of Inquiry conducted in October 2019 by 23 lawyers’ organizations and bar associations from all over the world in Istanbul pointed out violations of the `principles of fair trial in the two ÇHD trials in its analysis and report “Fact-finding mission on CHD’s trials, Breach of Fair Trial, Independence of the Judiciary and Principles, on the Role of Lawyers, October 2019, Istanbul”

One of the lawyers accused in both trials, Att. Ebru Timtik, paid with her life for her struggle for fair trials. She went on hunger strike. The court refused to release her temporarily from detention in order to recover from the consequences of the hunger strike. Her colleague Att. Aytac Ünsal, who also went on hunger strike, only survived because the Court of Appeal, aware of the worldwide protests following the death of Ebru Timtik, did not want to be responsible for another victim of its intransigence.

If the 18th Heavy Penal Court is to avoid further damage to the reputation of the Turkish judiciary, the only option left to it is to acquit the accused, or to close the case.

Supported by

▪ European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH)
▪ Avocats Européens Démocrates (AED-EDL)
▪ International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) representative at the UN Vienna
▪ Confederation of Lawyers of Asia and the Pacific (COLAP)
▪ Asociación Americana de Juristas (AAJ)
▪ Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
▪ L’ORDRE DES BARREAUX FRANCOPHONES ET GERMANOPHONE DE BELGIQUE, (AVOCATS.BE) ▪ Ordre des avocats de Paris
▪ Lawyers for Lawyers
▪ Associazione Nazionale Giuristi Democratici (Italy)
▪ Défense sans frontière – Avocats solidaires (DSF–AS)
▪ Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh (DLAB)
▪ Dutch League for Human Rights
▪ Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer

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Another lawyer from Turkey has been arrested! Free Seda Saraldı

LAWYERS’ ASSOCIATIONS PROTEST ARREST OF TURKISH LAWYER SEDA SARALDI

 

We, the undersigned international lawyers’ associations, have for many years condemned the Turkish government’s systematic attacks on lawyers and bar associations for representing people allegedly opposed to government policies.

 

Ten lawyers from the Peoples’ Law Office and other members of the Progressive Lawyers Association have been in prison for more than three years. Eighteen lawyers from the Progressive Lawyers Association were sentenced to a total of 159 years and 2 months imprisonment following an unjust trial. Their right to defense and right to a fair trial were violated from the beginning to the end. The Turkish Supreme Court recently affirmed the unlawful convictions for fifteen of the accused lawyers.

 

During their incarceration, lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytac Ünsal mounted a hunger strike to protest the unlawfulness of their convictions and demanded a fair trial for themselves and for every other person arrested. Tragically, Ebru Timtik died on the 238th of the day of her hunger strike.

 

Seda Saraldi, another lawyer who is a member of Progressive Lawyers Association and worked in the Peoples` Law Office as the intern of Ebru Timtik, was detained on 28 October, together with 101 clients of her office. Saraldi was arrested at her family’s home at midnight. According to her defense lawyers, the police broke the door of the house and Saraldi was subjected to violence during her arrest.

 

After finishing her internship, Saraldi began working as an attorney in the Peoples` Law Office. She was one of the lawyers campaigning for the freedom of Ebru Timtik and Aytac Ünsal. During the one year she has practiced law, Saraldi has represented hundreds of vulnerable people, including the imprisoned lawyers.

The Turkish government does not follow its domestic law, and it also systematically violates the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (known as the Havana Principles). Under these principles,

“Governments shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.” In addition, “Where the security of lawyers is threatened as a result of discharging their functions, they shall be adequately safeguarded by the authorities.” But it is the Turkish government that is threatening the security of these lawyers for discharging their functions. And, the principles provide, “Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions.”

Governments are obliged to remove the obstacles to the professional activity of lawyers and they should prevent any kind of harrasment or unlawful interference against lawyers. However, in Turkey the harrasment of the legal profession has become the policy of the government itself.

 

We demand again that the Turkish government live up to its obligations under the law. We also demand the immediate release of Seda Saraldi and all the other detained lawyers. Turkey must stop harrasing lawyers and bar associations who are on the front lines of providing the right to defense.

 

International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)

European Democratic Lawyers (EDL – AED)

European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights (ELDH)

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AED/EDL IN SUPPORT OF THE SPANISH LAWYERS ISABEL ELBAL AND GONZALO BOYE

AED/EDL would like to proclaim its support for our colleagues, the Spanish lawyers Gonzalo Boye and Isabel Elbal, concerning the suspicious attacks they have suffered in their offices, which have been burglarized twice in 9 months, stating the following:

1.- First and foremost, we must recall that lawyers should not be identified with their clients, or with the causes they defend, since such confusion is detrimental to the independence and dignity of lawyers and the whole legal profession, and ultimately affects the right of defense itself as a fundamental right.

This circumstance was already acknowledged in The Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, approved at the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, held in Havana (Cuba), from the 27th of August to the 7th of September 1990, which establishes in its guarantee n° 18 that “Lawyers will not be identified with their clients or with the causes of their clients as a consequence of the performance of their duties”. Furthermore Resolution 26/7 (10th july 2014) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC- A/HRC/RES/26/7) (2) provides in its point n° 104 that “It must be prohibited to assimilate lawyers and their clients or their causes and to express anticipation for the adoption of measures aimed at preventing such assimilation“.

 

2.- Regardless of the foregoing, we express our most outright rejection of all the intimidating, threatening or humiliating messages that lawyers have been receiving in recent times due to their practice of the legal profession, and specifically in the case of our colleagues because of their work as defense lawyers of clients linked to the so-called Catalonian “procés”. Likewise, we strongly reject such illegitimate attacks, and show our solidarity and support to the recipients.

 

3.- We reiterate the need for legal professionals, and specifically lawyers, to be able to develop their constitutional function with the most absolute freedom and autonomy, without which, it is impossible to speak of the rule of law and of the existence of fair trials without discrimination.

 

 

Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam

3rd of October 2020

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Open statement in connection with the detention of Belarusian lawyers Ilya Salei and Maksim Znak

September 10, 2020

We express our deep concern at the detention of lawyers Ilya Salei and Maksim Znak on September 9, 2020, in Belarus, in a criminal case which is undeniably politically motivated. We consider this to be a gross violation and interference with their professional legal activities and with their rights to express professional opinions, as established by international legal standards. This case is a direct consequence of a dire situation, problems and violations of professional rights of attorneys and lawyers and overall functioning of the legal profession in the Republic of Belarus. These problems were highlighted by both international organizations and representatives of the legal community before.[1]

According to information posted on the website of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus, “the investigation of the criminal case opened by the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus under Part 3 of Art. 361 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. At the moment, in the course of the investigation, evidence has been obtained that testify to the commission by individuals of a non-governmental organization called the Coordination Council, actions aimed at destabilizing the socio-political, economic situation and public awareness in the country, causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus. These actions were carried out using the media and internet resources. With regard to the suspects Maria Kolesnikova and Maksim Znak, with the approval of the prosecutor, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of detention. Ilya Salei was also detained on suspicion of committing this crime.”[2]

However, detained Ilya Salei is a lawyer of Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of the Belarusian protest movement and a member of the Presidium of the Coordination Council, who is also in jail.[3] Second detained lawyer Maksim Znak was representing Viktor Babariko, who ran for the President of the Republic of Belarus, but was not allowed to register as a candidate and was recognized as a political prisoner. Maksim Znak was also an attorney for the former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, on whose behalf he created the Coordination Council. As a member of the Presidium of the Coordinating Council, Maxim Znak was providing legal assistance as an attorney. Maxim Znak’s lawyer Dmitry Laevsky notes: “all his statements, appeals, comments were public, transparent, their content was absolutely legal and did not carry any illegal intentions.”[4]

We would like to emphasize that, in accordance with the United Nation’s Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers[5], governments must ensure that lawyers can perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference. Lawyers, like other citizens, are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. In particular, they have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights, and to join or form local, national or international organizations and attend their meetings, without suffering professional restrictions by reason of their lawful actions or their membership in a lawful organization.

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee appealed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers with a report about the situation of lawyers Maksim Znak and Ilya Salei.[6] The report called for urgent action to be taken in connection with the detention of the lawyers and requested to send an urgent message to the Government of Belarus on the need to comply with the Basic Principles concerning the role of lawyers.

Belarusian lawyers and jurists have made an open statement in connection with the detention of their colleagues.[7]

We also demand from the authorities of the Republic of Belarus to:

– immediately release lawyers Maksim Znak and Ilya Salei and comply with international legal standards of the independence of legal profession and the exercise of the right to defense;

– stop the persecution of lawyers and attorneys who are exercising their constitutional right of free expression by expressing their opinions[8] while performing professional functions;

– strictly observe the provisions of Art. 62 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus: “everyone has the right to exercise and protect rights and freedoms, including the right to use at any time the assistance of lawyers and their other representatives in court, other state bodies, local government bodies, at enterprises, institutions, organizations, public associations and in relations with officials and citizens. Opposition to the provision of legal assistance in the Republic of Belarus is prohibited by law.”[9]

Download in English and Russian

Signatories:

  1. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland
  2. ARTICLE 19, United Kingdom
  3. The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe
  4. The Bar Association of Luxembourg
  5. The Swedish Bar Association
  6. The French and German speaking bars association of Belgium AVOCATS.BE
  7. The European Association of Lawyers AEA-EAL
  8. Lawyers for Lawyers, The Netherlands
  9. FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
  10. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights YUCOM, Serbia
  11. OMCT World Organisation Against Torture
  12. Human Rights House Foundation, Norway
  13. Centre de la protection internationale, France
  14. Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Lithuania
  15. International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Belgium
  16. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee
  17. Freedom Now, USA
  18. Crude Accountability, USA
  19. All-Ukrainian Association of Lawyers Providing Free Legal Aid – Odesa Division, Ukraine
  20. Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Russia
  21. Pskov Regional Human Rights Environmental Public Movement “Svobodnyi Bereg”, Russia
  22. Kharkiv Regional Foundation Public Alternative, Ukraine
  23. German-Russian Exchange in St. Petersburg
  24. Stichting CAAT Projects, The Netherlands
  25. MEMORIAL Deutschland e. V. Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte, Germany
  26. Legal Policy Research Center, Kazakhstan
  27. Public Association Dignity, Kazakhstan
  28. Human Rights Movement “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan”
  29. Belarusian Helsinki Committee
  30. Human Constanta, Belarus
  31. Center for Participation and Development, Georgia
  32. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor, Armenia
  33. Association of Ukrainian Human Rights Monitors on Law Enforcement, Ukraine
  34. SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, Russia
  35. Souchastiye v Sud’be, Blagotvoritel’nyy Tsentr, Russia
  36. Human Rights Embassy, Moldova
  37. Libereco Partnership for Human Rights, Germany
  38. Public Verdict Foundation, Russia
  39. Human Rights Group “Grazhdanin, armia, pravo”, Russia
  40. DRA – German-Russian Exchange, Germany
  41. Social Action Centre, Ukraine
  42. Helsinki Committee of Armenia
  43. Helsinki association, Armenia
  44. Macedonian Helsinki Committee
  45. Swedish OSCE-network
  46. Albanian Helsinki Committee
  47. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
  48. Women of the Don, Russia
  49. Moscow Helsinki Group, Russia
  50. Human Rights House Zagreb, Croatia
  51. Human Rights Center, Georgia
  52. Mogilev Human Rights Center, Belarus
  53. Netherlands Helsinki Committee
  54. Human Rights Center ZMINA, Ukraine
  55. The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House
  56. “Ekumena” Center, Belarus
  57. Youth Memorial – Perm, Russia
  58. Human Rights House in Chernihiv, Ukraine
  59. The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims
  60. Östgruppen – Swedish initiative for democracy and human rights, Sweden
  61. IDP Women Association Consent, Georgia
  62. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Kazakhstan
  63. Czech Bar Association, The Czech Republic (tbc)
  64. Civil Initiative Against Lawlessness in Courts and Prosecutor’s Office, Belarus
  65. AED-EDL (Avocat.e.s Européennes Démocrates / European Democratic Lawyers), Barcelona, Spain
  66. Freedom House, USA
  67. Independent Social Ecological Movement – NESEHNUTI, Brno, The Czech Republic
  68. Stichting CAAT Projects, the Netherlands
  69. La Asociación Libre de Abogados, Spain
  70. RAW for Women and Girl Survivors of War (Raw in War)
  71. Citizens Network Watchdog, Poland
  72. ORDRE DES AVOCATS DE PARIS / Paris Bar, France
  73. The Сouncil of the Warsaw Bar Association of Advocates, Poland
  74. Russian LGBT Network
  75. Board of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum
  76. Freedom of Religion and Believe – FORB, Belarus
  77. Human Rights Center Memorial, Russia

[1] See https://www.hfhr.pl/en/report-on-the-situation-of-legal-profession-in-belarus/ https://probusiness.io/law/7462-kogda-slesari-bastuyut-advokatam-stydno-molchat-obrashchenie-advokatskogo-soobshchestva-belarusi.html, https://fondadvokatov.ru/belarus

[2] See https://sk.gov.by/ru/news-ru/view/sledstvennym-komitetom-prodolzhaetsja-rassledovanie-ugolovnogo-dela-o-publichnyx-prizyvax-k-dejstvijam-9248/

[3] Coordination Council – public initiative, created with the goal of overcoming political crisis in Belarus and ensuring peace and understanding, and also for protection of sovereignty and independence of the republic of Belarus. More information about the Council please see https://rada.vision/en

[4] See https://news.tut.by/economics/699898.html

[5] Adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba, 27 August to 7 September 1990, see https://www.un.org/ru/documents/decl_conv/conventions/role_lawyers.shtml

[6] See https://belhelcom.org/be/node/1244

[7] https://news.tut.by/economics/699922.html

[8] Article 33 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus https://kodeksy-by.com/konstitutsiya_rb/33.htm

[9] See https://kodeksy-by.com/konstitutsiya_rb/62.htm

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OBITUARY – Ebru Timtik will always be in our minds and hearts!

Ebru passed away yesterday after 238 days on Hunger Strike. She fought until her last breath for the right to a fair trial and independence of lawyers. The Turkish State is responsible because it ignored her claims.

Last October we visited her and the other colleagues of the ÇHD in Silivri hight security prison (near Istanbul) with an International Delegation of lawyers, we spoke with her about her determination to continue denouncing all forms of injustice.

We know that the right to a fair trial has been violated in the so called ÇHD2 Case. We have seen, observing the trial, that the Court was unfair. The lawsuit was a masquerade (not enforcing procedural rules, nonsense statements of a secret witness were the base of the decision, and the verdict was given before the right of defence was exercised). The international delegation of Lawyers, in which AED-EDL and the Foundation Day of Endangered Lawyer participated monitoring the trial, has been expulsed from the Courtroom before the last statement was given by the defence lawyers and before the final decision.

The denying of the demand Ebru made for a fair trial made her choose the way of a hunger strike. This hunger strike was not meant as a special request for herself but for the whole profession of lawyers and for the Kurdish and Turkish people. When her situation was already very grave on the 14th of August a request to release Ebru and her colleague Aytaç Unsal was denied by the Constitutional Court of Turkey.

Everyone has to know that the death of Ebru could have been prevented. For all of us, her death will be remembered as a shame for the Turkish Judiciary.

The lesson we can obtain of Ebru’s death is that we must be more conscious to fight for fundamental Rights in Turkey and other Countries. Her action will help and motivate us to defend the right to a fair trial.

Ebru, your life was brilliant, your death is very sad, and your example is a light in this time of troubles in Turkey!

 

Rest in peace, our sister.

 

28.08.2020

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Fact-Finding Mission on CHD Trials in Turkey

 

Breach of a fair trial, independence of the judiciary and principles on the role of Lawyers.

October 2019, Istanbul

A group of 15 lawyers from 7 European countries met in Istanbul from 13 till 15 October 2019 for a fact-finding mission to clarify the legal circumstances that led to the conviction of the following 18 Turkish lawyers by the 37 High Criminal Court of Istanbul in March 2019:

– For “founding and leading a terrorist organization” – Barkin TIMTIK: 18 years and 9 months For “membership of a terrorist organization” – Ebru TIMTIK and Özgür YILMAZ: 13 years and 6 months – Behiç ASÇI and Sükriye ERDEN: 12 years – Selçuk KOZAGACLI (President of the ÇHD) : 11 years and 3 months – Engin GÖKOGLU, Aytac ÜNSAL and Süleyman GÖKTEN : 10 years and 6 months – Aycan ÇIÇEK and Naciye DEMIR: 9 years – Ezgi CAKIR: 8 years

– For “willfully and knowingly aiding a terrorist organization” – Aysegül CAGATAY, Yagmur EREREN, Didem Baydar ÜNSAL and Yaprak TÜRKMEN: 3 years 9 months – Zehra ÖZDEMIR and Ahmet MANDACI: 3 years, 1 month and 15 days (sentence reduced because of their presence at the hearing on 20 March 2019, unlike the other defendants).

The European lawyers of the monitoring team came from Austria, Belgium, Catalonia/Spain, Greece, Germany, France, and Italy. They represented, among others, two international associations of lawyers, two European lawyers’ organizations, the European umbrella association of bar associations, various national and regional bar associations and lawyers’ organizations.

These are their findings: REPORT

The lawyers of the monitoring team represented the following organizations:

  • ELDH – European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights
  • AED-EDL – European Democratic Lawyers
  • The foundation The Day of the Endangered Lawyer
  • IADL – International Association of Democratic Lawyers
  • Progress Lawyers Network
  • Giuristi Democratici
  • CCBE The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe
  • CNB – French National Bar Council (Conseil national des barreaux)
  • OIAD – Observatoire International des Avocats en Danger (The International Observatory
    of Endangered Lawyers)
  • UCPI – Unione delle Camere Penali Italiane
  • Consiglio Nazionale Forense (Italian National Bar Association)
  • DSF AS – Défense Sans frontière – Avocats Solidaires
  • UIA International Association of Lawyers
  • OBFG/Avocats.be (Association of French speaking Bars of Belgium)
  • Paris Bar Association
  • Athens Bar Association
  • Barcelona Bar Association
  • Berlin Bar Association
  • Brussels (French-speaking) Bar Association
  • Brussels (Dutch-speaking) Bar Association (NOAB)
  • Liège Bar Association
  • Vienna Bar Association