The Bar Council of England and Wales has endorsed expressions of solidarity and support to the Istanbul Bar Association in advance of a court hearing scheduled to take place this week at the city’s Marmara prison. Ten members of the Istanbul bar including its president face criminal charges for ‘terrorist propaganda’ and ‘public dissemination of misleading information’.
The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) has strongly condemned the dismissal of the president of the Istanbul Bar, İbrahim Kaboğlu, and other members of the Istanbul Bar Council following a hearing on 21 March. The hearings were in response to calls by members of the bar for an impartial and effective investigation into the circumstances linked to the death of two journalists.
Lawyer Fırat Epözdemir was arrested on 23 January at Istanbul airport and is still being held in pre-trial detention. On 8 April, the prosecutor filed an indictment against Epözdemir on charges of 'membership of an organisation' and 'terrorist propaganda'. Epözdemir, a former president of the Lawyers for Freedom Association, faces up to 15 years in prison.
Bar chair Barbara Mills KC, said: 'We are gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation facing our colleagues and sister organisation in Türkiye. The actions of the authorities constitute a serious attack on the independence of lawyers, their representative organisations and the rule of law. We hope the international community and European institutions will take urgent action to protect lawyers and we urge the government in Türkiye to respect their international obligations relating to the independence of the legal profession.'
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