The murder trial of Tahir Elçi, a prominent Kurdish human rights lawyer and then president of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, who was shot dead in November 2015, is now overshadowed by serious allegations of impunity, prosecutorial misconduct and torture of witnesses.| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders
Turkish lawyer Burak Saldıroğlu remains in detention for nearly a month on charges of insulting President Erdoğan after sharing political content. His arrest has raised concerns over judicial independence, freedom of expression, and excessive political influence, in light of growing prosecutions under controversial laws.| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders
March 21, 2025 | İstanbul – In a decision widely condemned as politically motivated, the İstanbul 2nd Civil Court of First Instance has removed the entire executive board of the İstanbul Bar Association, including its president, constitutional law scholar Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özden Kaboğlu. The ruling comes in response to a statement the Bar issued| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders
Istanbul lawyer Fırat Epözdemir, a member of the Istanbul Bar Association's Board of Directors, has been detained over pro-Kurdish and human rights activism.| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders
Human Rights Watch's 2025 report highlights Turkey's entrenched corruption, defiance of ECtHR rulings, and ongoing persecution of dissenters under Erdoğan's leadership. Judicial independence erodes, with thousands detained for alleged Gülen ties and widespread media censorship. Economic crises fuel xenophobia towards refugees, while women face rising violence and inadequate protections.| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders
Işınkaralar's case highlights quite a number of serious issues including widespread torture and sexual abuse in police custody, the reduction of safeguards against torture, non-compliance with the Istanbul Protocol on medical documentation of torture, impunity and corruption.| The Arrested Lawyers Initiative - Volunteer organisation to defend the defenders