Judicial observation mission – trial of Ruken Gülağacı (Istanbul, Turkey)
Observation of the trial of: Ruken Gülağacı
Date of the mission: 12–14 April 2026
Date of the report: May 2026
Description: The OIAD, represented by its delegate Christine Charlot (Guyana Bar), attended the hearing of lawyer Ruken Gülağacı on 13 April 2026.
Ruken Gülağacı is a Turkish lawyer and human rights activist based in Istanbul. She is best known for her involvement with the Lawyers’ Association for Freedom (Özgürlük için Hukukçular Derneği – ÖHD) as a member of the board of directors.
On the evening of 20 May 2025, Ms Gülağacı was arrested by police officers whilst on her way to Kandıra Prison to meet her client. She spent the night at the police station and was transferred the following day to Çağlayan Court, where she gave her statement to the prosecutor at around 3 am. Following her questioning, the prosecutor referred Ms Gülağacı to the criminal magistrate with a request for judicial supervision in the form of house arrest.
Thus, on 21 May, the criminal magistrate issued an order for house arrest in absentia against Ms Gülağacı without her being brought before a judge, and solely on the basis of documents – an alarming escalation that has only heightened concerns regarding these criminal proceedings based on her professional activities.
The hearing took place on 13 April 2026, at which Ruken Gülağacı was acquitted.
