European Democratic Lawyers
Urgent international call for the immediate release of lawyers and ÇHD-members Atty. Ezgi Önalan, Atty.Yunus Emre Işık, Boran Işıldak, Burhan Can, Halil Arbağ and Atty. Özge Usanmaz — as well as Atty.Doğa İncesu, Atty. Semra Demir and Atty. Kürşat Bafra. 7 July 2026 We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our grave concern regarding the latest detentions inTurkey targeting lawyers, […]
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The European Democratic Lawyers (AED -EDL), The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & Human Rights (ELDH) and the Internal Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) express their deep concern regarding the arrest of two Dutch lawyers during a peaceful protest near the Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer) in The Hague. According to reports, the lawyers were participating as legal observers in […]
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The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel has confirmed in its report of September 16, 2025 that Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip. This determination reflects what legal experts, civil society, and humanitarian actors have denounced for months: the mass killing of civilians, the destruction of essential infrastructure, […]
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AED- EDL firmly condemns the revocation of the Istanbul Bar President İbrahim Kaboğlu, and the dissolution of the Board for alleged acts of terrorist propaganda. This dissolution follows the judicial procedure initiated on January 14, 2025 by the Istanbul Prosecutor General in retaliation for the statement issued by the Bar Association on December 21, 2024 condemning the deaths of […]
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The Erosion of Legal Independence and Professional Rights in BELARUS
This year, the Day of the Endangered Lawyer is dedicated to the plight of lawyers und human rights defenders in Belarus. The findings of the report, on which our claims are based, indicate a troubling deterioration of the situation of lawyers in Belarus since 2020. In fact, there seems to be persistent trend in Belarus where legal practitioners face increasing criminal sanctions, arbitrary detentions, and systemic interference in their professional duties.
The undersigned organizations vehemently condemn the detention of Attorney Şiar Rişvanoğlu, who is registered with the Adana Bar Association and a member of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), following a police raid on his residence and subsequent arrest at the Çukurova airport in Tarsus. On the morning of 26 November 2024, authorities executed a raid at Attorney Rişvanoğlu’s home without […]
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We, the AED-EDL European Lawyers’ Association, have come to know that on the 25th of October, lawyer Bedirhan Sarsılmaz was taken into custody. At the moment of his detention, lawyer Bedirhan Sarsılmaz, had just finished his plea as part of the defense counsel of his client and was exercising his profession. Lawyer Bedirhan Sarsılmaz of the Istanbul bar association, is […]
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Une délégation de plus de 60 observateurs internationaux condamne le jugement de la Cour dans le cadre des poursuites pénales engagées depuis une décennie contre 21 avocats de ÇHD (Progressive Lawyers’ Association) et HHB (People’s Law Office) : La délégation prévient que “le monde entier regarde”. Cette semaine, nous – plus de 60 avocats de 9 pays représentant plus […]
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Delegation of 60+ International Trial Observers Condemns Court Judgment in Decade-Long Criminal Prosecution of 21 Lawyers from ÇHD (Progressive Lawyers Association) and HHB (People’s Law Office): Delegation Warns That “The World is Watching” This week, we – more than 60 lawyers from 9 countries representing more than 30 bar associations, NGOs and professional lawyers’ associations – have been observing the […]
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En 2013, il y a dix ans, un procès de masse a débuté contre 22 avocates et avocats, tous membres de l’organisation d’avocats Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD, Turquie) et du People’s Law Office (HHB). Depuis, jusqu’à trois audiences ont eu lieu chaque année – d’abord devant la “Cour d’assises spéciale” (la Haute Cour pénale), puis, en 2014, après un changement […]
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