Lawyers from Progressive Lawyers Association End Their Hunger Strike

Five lawyers from the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and People’s Law Bureau (HHB), including ÇHD Chair Selçuk Kozağaçlı, have decided to end their hunger strikes, which they continued for 59 days.

İstanbul

Lawyers from Progressive Lawyers Association End Their Hunger Strike

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Lawyers Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Aycan Çiçek, Behiç Aşçı, Engin Gökoğlu and Aytaç Ünsal from the People's Law Bureau (HHB) and Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), which was closed by a Statutory Decree during the State of Emergency, announced on March 23 that they would end the hunger strike that they had been continuing for 59 days.

The decision of the lawyers was shared with the public by İstanbul Bar Association Chair Mehmet Durakoğlu on Twitter. Durakoğlu said, "Our colleagues are ending their hunger strike. They are extending their thanks to everyone who has supported them."

The İstanbul Bar Association also released a written statement regarding the decision of ÇHD and HHB lawyers:

"After a meeting held by İstanbul Bar Association Chair lawyer Mehmet Durakoğlu and lawyer Selçuk Kozağaçlı in Silivri Prison today (March 23), it has been decided that the hunger strike of arrested colleagues will be ended.

"It has been understood that even though the aim of hunger strikes "to uncover the unlawfulness" has been reached, the new picture which has emerged with the recent verdict given by the court has brought about a new phase that has to be evaluated as well.

"Within this framework and with a belief in the struggle to be waged by Bar Associations and legal institutions against the new unlawfulnesses which have emerged with the verdict of İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court, it has been decided to end the hunger strikes."

What happened?

Most of the lawyers, who are members of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and People's Law Bureau (HHB), were taken into custody in police raids against their bureaus on September 12, 2017 and arrested on September 20. Chair of the ÇHD Selçuk Kozağaçlı was arrested on November 13, 2017

At their hearing on September 14, 2018, the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court ruled for the release of the lawyers Ahmet Mandacı, Aycan Çiçek, Ayşegül Çağatay, Aytaç Ünsal, Barkın Timtik, Behiç Aşçı, Didem Baydar Ünsal, Ebru Timtik, Engin Gökoğlu, Naciye Demir, Özgür Yılmaz, Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Süleyman Gökten, Şükriye Erden, Yağmur Ererken, Yaprak Türkmen and Zehra Özdemir.

However, less than 24 hours after a verdict of release was given for them, the board of the court was changed and, in the meanwhile, the Prosecutor's Office objected to the verdict.

The new court board ruled that six of the released lawyers should be arrested again. After spending one day outside prison, six released lawyers were re-arrested and sent to prisons in different provinces of Turkey. The arrest warrants issued against lawyers Günay Dağ and Oya Aslan have still been in effect.

One of the defendants, Barkın Timtik, was also arrested on March 1.

The prosecutor of the court announced his opinion as to the accusations on February 21, 2019 and demanded that all defendants be penalized on charge of "membership of an armed terrorist organization."

In the final hearing of the case held on March 20, 2019, the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court ruled that 18 lawyers shall be sentenced to 159 years, 1 months and 30 days in prison in total.

CLICK - 18 Lawyers Sentenced to Prison for 159 Years, 1 Month, 30 Days in Total

(HA/SD)