Page 25 - 2020 Yılında Diyarbakır Barosu Başkanı, Yönetim Kurulu ve Baro Üyesi Avukatlara Yönelik Soruşturma ve Kovuşturmalara Dair Rapor

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LAWYERS’ RIGHTS CENTERAWYERS’ RIGHTS CENTER LAWYERS’ RIGHTS CENTERAWYERS’ RIGHTS CENTER
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SUMMARY INTRODUCTION

This report was issued on the basis of the violations against our colleagues who The President of our Bar Association Tahir Elçi passed away as a result of an armed
worked as lawyers in Diyarbakır Bar Association and the investigations and attack immediately after a press statement which he made on 28 November 2015. As
prosecutions against the lawyers. The lawyers who worked on the report and work a result of the intense efforts of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, a criminal case could
at Diyarbakır Bar Association Lawyers’ Rights Center, interviewed 52 lawyers who be filed in March 2020.
were investigated and prosecuted, vis- a- vis or on the phone. The names of the
lawyers which interviewed in the criminal cases and mentioned in the report were
not published upon their requests. However, the names of our colleagues and The former President of our Bar Association and all members of the Board of
documents of investigation or case files are available in the records of the Diyarbakır Directors: the content of the commemoration statement dated 24 April 2017- 2018
Bar Association Lawyers’ Rights Center. While preparing this report, the police regarding the deportation that occured in 1915 and also, the President of our Bar
Association and all members of the Board of Directors, justifying the content of
statement records, indictments, case files, hearing records and court decisions of our
colleagues were examined. the commemoration statement dated 24 April 2019, a criminal case has been filed
to incite ‘the Public to hatred and hostility and insult the Turkish Grand National
Assembly’. This statement made by the Diyarbakır Bar Association was not considered
The report includes a chronology regarding the murder of the President our Bar within the scope of freedom of expression, with the conjunctural approach of the
Association Tahir Elçi, investigations and prosecutions against the current and previous judiciary, it was claimed that there was an element of crime in the statement.
Bar Association Presidents and Board Members, prosecutions against our former Bar
Association Presidents and colleagues for alleged participation in the activities of
the Democratic Society Congress (Demokratik Toplum Kongresi /DTK) , initiated at The Diyarbakır Bar Association has been systematically targeted by the current
government and also subjected to unjust accusations and threats. With a delegation
different times by the Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa Chief Prosecutor’s Office and data on of non- governmental organizations in Diyarbakır and the Bar Association in the
the investigations in which many of our colleagues were detained. Also summary
information and statistics regarding the investigations initiated against our colleagues delegation that wants to report the armed attack against Şenyaşar family in Suruç so
are included, finally, our observations regarding the illegality of the investigations and the Bar Association was targeted by the Minister of the Interior on 18 June 20181 ,
prosecutions against our colleagues are included. upon the Bar Association’s response to this situation with a press statement2, Minister
of Interior said that ‘Just as we did what was necessary because of the deputies’
aiding and abetting the terrorist organization, we will do what they need3’ and
Minister of Interior continued his threats. On 7 September 2019, the Minister of
Interior accused the Diyarbakır Bar Association of being the spokesperson of the
terrorist organization4. After these statements, a significant increase was observed in
the investigations and prosecutions against the Bar Association.

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