Turkey: Mehmet Pehlivan, lawyer of imprisoned Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, arrested
28 March 2025
The OIAD is extremely concerned about the arrest of Mehmet Pehlivan, lawyer to the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey’s main opponent to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His arrest, reported on Friday 28 March 2025, occurs in a context of growing repression targeting not only political opposition figures but also their defenders.
In a message posted on social media, Mr Imamoglu, himself detained and dismissed from his position, denounced this arrest as being based on ‘completely fabricated grounds’. This action constitutes yet another serious attack on the rule of law and the rights of the defence in Turkey.
The OIAD recalls that lawyers have a fundamental role to play in the protection of rights and freedoms, and that their intimidation or arrest is a flagrant violation of the principles of the independence of the profession, as established by international standards, in particular the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Furthermore, the arrest of Mr Pehlivan coincides with increased repression of freedoms in Turkey. Since Ekrem Imamoglu was imprisoned on 19 March 2025, massive demonstrations have broken out across the country, resulting in the arrest of more than 1,800 people, including journalists documenting these events.
The Observatory strongly condemns the arrest of Mr Mehmet Pehlivan.
The Observatory urges the Turkish authorities to release lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan and his client Ekrem Imamoglu immediately and unconditionally.
The Observatory calls on the Turkish authorities to guarantee the free and independent exercise of the profession of lawyer in Turkey.
The Observatory urgently seeks the end of intimidation and arbitrary prosecution of lawyers defending political opponents.
The Observatory will remain vigilant with regard to this new attack on the rights of the defence in Turkey.
