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TURKEY: OIAD attends the 9th hearing in Diyarbakir of the trial of the alleged killers of former Bar President Tahir Elçi
Since 2022, the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger has been monitoring the trial in Diyarbakir of the alleged murderers of former Bar President Tahir Elçi. The latest hearing in this trial was also observed by The OIAD on Wednesday 6 March 2024. Tahir Elçi was murdered on 28 November 2015 in a shooting attack when he called for a ceasefire and denounced the extensive destruction of the historic district of Sur, the old town of Diyarbarkir. Elçi had been the target of death threats a few weeks before his murder, particularly on social networks, and had been harassed after refusing to label the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) a terrorist organisation during a television broadcast on 14 October 2015. At the last hearing on 6 March 2024, all the requests made by Tahir Elci’s lawyers and the Diyarbakir Bar Association were rejected, and the case was adjourned to 12 June for final indictment. The lawyers representing the family of the former Bar President strongly criticised the court’s complacency towards the accused police officers and the lack of a proper preliminary investigation, a criticism that had already been raised by observers at previous hearings. The integrity and courage of Tahir Elçi, […]
TURKEY: The OIAD stands by the Saturday Mothers’ lawyers
February 27, 2024 marked the opening of the first trial following the decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court, which confirmed that Galatasaray Square is a public space where demonstrations are allowed. Lawyer Oya Meriç Eyüboğlu was among the defendants in the trial. For more than 20 years, the Saturday Mothers (Cumartesi Anneleri/İnsanları in Turkish) have gathered peacefully in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square in the form of a vigil every Saturday at noon to demand accountability for the enforced disappearances that took place in the 1980s and 1990s in Turkey. On 16 November 2022, the Turkish Constitutional Court recognised the legitimacy of the Saturday Mothers gatherings. This decision, confirmed again on 29 March 2023, allowed the movement to demonstrate peacefully on Galatasaray Square. However, the Turkish authorities attempted to suppress the movement by restricting access to Galatasaray Square. Given this blatant restriction of the right to peaceful demonstration, the authorities have not hesitated to attack the lawyers representing the movement. Some of the Saturday Mothers’ lawyers have also been targeted. The International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger was in Istanbul, Turkey, to support colleague Oya Meriç Eyüboğlu, a well-known lawyer for the Saturday Mothers in Turkey and defender of many journalists and […]
COLOMBIA: Preview and round table discussion on the documentary about the Colombian lawyer Adil Meléndez
On 27 February, the “Teatro del barrio” in Madrid hosted the preview of the documentary “Desterrados: Voces de Resistencia”, where a glimpse of what this series about the work and life of Colombian lawyer Adil Meléndez could look like was presented. This documentary was co-financed by the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger, to support the visibility of the lawyer’s work defending the rights of Afro-Colombian communities in the Caribbean region. Following the screening, several thematic panels were held, during which experts in the defence of human rights in Colombia analysed the socio-political context and the personal security situation of Adil Meléndez. Gonzalo Sáenz, representative of the OIAD, presented the background to the work that the OIAD has carried out on behalf of the lawyer since 2018. Recently, the lawyer reported that his bodyguards had informed him that the National Protection Unit (UNP)[1] had withdrawn its security plan. As a result, the Observatory has been mobilised to ensure that the lawyer can return to his country with guarantees of safety. “Ever since I began my struggle as a lawyer, I have made sure that I have back-up, always someone behind me to support me, and that is the international organisations. […]
Announcement /International Fair Trial Day 2024: the Philippines
Via Tsuji (2010) / Flickr The Steering Groupe of the International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) in which OIAD participates, announces the Philippines as 2024’s focus country. Save the date of 14 June 2024 where fair trial rights issues in the Philippines will be addressed on the IFTD conference. Additionally, we announce that call for nominations for the Ebru Timtik Award is open until 1 May 2024. In 2021, a group of lawyers and lawyers’ organisations came together to establish an annual International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) to be observed every year on 14 June. This initiative is supported by more than 100 legal associations across the world, all of which are committed to the vital importance of the right to a fair trial and the serious challenges to due process rights worldwide. They established a Steering Group for the organisation of IFTD. The decision to establish an IFTD was also accompanied by the establishment of the Ebru Timtik Award. The Steering Group is formed by a number of other prominent organisations taking part in the work, including the OIAD. Several nominations were received for this year’s IFTD focus country. Following due consideration of the proposals, the Philippines has been chosen […]
TURKEY: THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL COMMUNITY CONDEMNS THE DETENTION OF FOUR ÇHD LAWYERS AND THE RAID ON THEIR OFFICE
The OIAD[1], together with the undersigned organisations, condemns the detention of lawyers Didem Baydar Ünsal, Berrak Çağlar, Seda Şaraldı and Betül Vangölü Kozağaçlı, members of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), following a raid on their office in Istanbul on February 6, 2024. On February 6, 2024, following an armed attack on the largest court building (Çağlayan Courthouse) in Istanbul, two assailants were shot dead by the police. According to police sources, the attackers were members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C). Following this attack, several offices of various organisations were raided and ransacked by police forces in Istanbul. Among them is the People’s Law Office, where four lawyers, members of ÇHD, were detained. Didem Baydar Ünsal, Berrak Çağlar, Seda Şaraldı and Betül Vangölü Kozağaçlı have since remained in custody in Vatan Police Headquarters awaiting to be transferred to the courthouse. The detained lawyers have been denied access to their lawyers for 24 hours following their detention. Due to the confidentiality order on the case file, colleagues acting as defence counsel are also unable to access the content of the file. Such restrictions to the defence rights rule out the possibility of knowing the ongoing accusations against these lawyers and […]
URGENT ACTIONS
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Procedure to evaluate cases.
When the observatory is informed of the situation of a lawyer at risk, it proceeds to verify the information it receives and to evaluate the context surrounding the case.
Case Verification
The Observatory’s team verifies the nature of the case that has been reported to check whether it falls under its sphere of competence/mandate and attempts to ascertain the veracity of the allegations received.
The Observatory has consolidated an extensive network of contacts with international and regional bodies, civil society organizations, diplomatic representations and bar associations. This network enables it to gather information pertinent to the lawyers’ general situation and that of specific cases.
The Observatory attempts to establish contact with the lawyer in order to understand his or her needs and circumstances in order to organize the appropriate kind of support that can effectively respond to the defense and protection strategy adopted.
Case assessment
Having completed the process of verification and information gathering, the case Evaluation Group performs an overall assessment of the situation, determines the degree of severity of the case, and issues recommendations on the type of action to be taken to procure counsel and effective support.
The verification and assessment process is performed within a limited amount of time in order to address the grave situations requiring urgent action.
Once the Evaluation Group has presented its recommendations, the Observatory proceeds to take action in accordance with these recommendations and in coordination with the lawyer in question and his or her surroundings.
No action is ever taken without the express consent of the lawyer in question.
WHAT IS THE OBSERVATORY FOR ?
Established in 2010 in the framework of the EU funded project “Lawyers serving lawyers”, the Observatory was re-established in 2015.
The Observatory’s basic aim is to uphold the right to practice law freely and totally independently, and to denounce situations where the right to legal counsel is at risk.
The observatory’s work covers warnings, support in the field and training.