On the arrest of lawyer Berdirhan Sarsılmaz

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 […]

Criminalisation of Lawyers in Turkey- Report by ÖHD (Lawyers for Freedom) and Diyarbakir Lawyers’ Bar Association

In the morning hours of the 25th of April 2023, during a wide police operation, 191 people, including 25 lawyers and other members of civil society in Turkey were arrested and their houses searched. Of the 25 lawyers initially arrested, 16 have been released under judicial control, following deposition and interrogation procedures. 4 lawyers are […]

Turkey’s terror list: An attack on lawyers and human rights

The undersigned organisations deplore the recent arbitrary designation of Günay Dağ as a “terrorist”. Günay Dağ is a lawyer at the International Bureau of the People’s Law Office and a member of the Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD). On 30 December 2022, he was added to the list called “list of wanted terrorists” published on the […]

THE AFGHANISTAN REPORT

This year, the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer focusses on Afghanistan. As set forth below, the situation confronting Afghan lawyers today is extremely dire. This report first outlines the applicable legal framework, highlighting the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. Next, the report describes the situation of the justice system and […]

Turkey: Closure case against political party looms

Trial is an assault on political opposition and democratic norms before elections [Istanbul: January 9, 2023] Current efforts to dissolve the second-largest opposition party in Turkey’s parliament ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections are the latest in a deeply problematic practice in Turkey of forcing the closure of political parties, a group of 10 international […]

Joint Statement: Bar Associations and International Lawyers’ Organisations Call for Protection of Lawyers in Iran

The undersigned bar associations and international lawyers’ organisations call for the Islamic Republic of Iran and its agencies to protect, promote, and support the following basic rights: 1) the independence of the legal profession; 2) the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality; 3) the right to have access to a legal representative; 4) the right to prepare […]