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Acceptance of the requirement for independent lawyers to be able to defend an accused, whether or not he/she is later adjudicated to be guilty of treason, sedition or whatever has rarely been accepted by Turkey.Like so many other countries in which due process is but an occasional luxury for the well connected the advocate is regarded as accessory after the fact for simply putting the client's case to the court.

Under Mr Erdogan's regime democracy and the right to a fair trial has been suspended as the media mouth the government line for fear of reprisals with no hope of assistance from the courts.