NEWS BUEROU – President of Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe ( CCBE) Michel Benichou wrote a letter to President Erdoğan to release prisoned lawyers Seher Acar,Mahmut Bingül, Feyzi Atsız and Ziya bağ.

CCBE president Michel Benichou urged to Erdoğan to release the lawyers who were member of the closed Mesopotamia Lawyers Association (MHD).

Here is the summary of Benichou ;

The CCBE would like to express its concern over the arrest and ongoing detention of Turkish lawyers Ziya Bağı, Seher Acay, Fevzi Adsız and Mahmut Bingül. They are all members of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and of the Mesopotamia Lawyers Association (MHD), which was closed down by emergency decree by the Turkish government.


We understand that, in the afternoon of 21 November 2016, they were arrested in Mardin Province and taken to Mardin Police Headquarters. For the first five days of their arrest, they had no access to their lawyers. Following that time, their right to access to a lawyer was severely limited by the police. They have been in police custody for more than 15 days, without any statement having been taken by the police to date. Their detention raises also concerns due to poor hygienical conditions of the police headquarters.

In this context, the CCBE wishes to draw your attention to the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (attached), in particular Principles 16 and 17 on Guarantees for the functioning of lawyers.

In view of the above, the CCBE respectfully urges your Excellency to ensure that lawyers Ziya Bağı, Seher Acay, Fevzi Adsız and Mahmut Bingül are immediately released.

In addition, the CCBE asks you to take all necessary measures to guarantee that lawyers in Turkey are able to perform their professional duties without fear of reprisal, hindrance, intimidation, or harassment