Lawyers’ Demand for Fair Trial Supported by 11,631 Signatories from 46 Countries

Click to read the article in Turkish

Established by legists, the Freedom for Defense Coordination made a statement for the press today (June 5) and announced that their campaign for death fasting arrested lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal have been supported by 11 thousand 631 signatories from 46 countries of the world.

The signatories have called on the authorities to urgently take responsibility to keep the lawyers alive and do the necessary for their right to fair trial.

In the file of the case against 19 lawyers from the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and People's Law Bureau (HHB), eight lawyers have been arrested pending trial: Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Bahiç Aşçı, Barkın Timtik, Ebru Timtik, Oya Aslan, Engin Gökoğlu, Aycan Çiçek, Aytaç Ünsal.

Held in Silivri Prison in İstanbul, Ebru Timtik has been on a death fast for 154 days for the right to a fair trial. Arrested in Burhaniye Type T Prison in Balıkesir, Aytaç Ünsal has also been on a death fast for 123 days.

CLICK - Lawyers from 20 Countries Submit 356 Petitions to Request Release of Arrested Lawyers

The 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation started examining their case file as of June 1, 2020.

Right to a fair trial requested

The campaign has underlined that meeting the demands of Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal "is required by the Constitution of Turkey and dozens of international conventions signed by Turkey."

The signatories have also demanded that "all arrested lawyers, especially Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal, be released without delay and necessary conditions be created for their right to a fair trial."

Participation from 46 countries

The petition has been supported by people from 46 countries. According to the statement made today, thousands of people from Haiti to Saudi Arabia, from Italy to Pakistan, from the US to Japan, have signed the petition:

"The number of those who joined the campaign from abroad has reached 2,051. What brings a French student, a Chinese worker, an Italian health worker, a Belgian lawyer and an Austrian judge side by side with us is the terrible scale of injustice and unlawfulness as well as the sense of responsibility shared from the heart to keep them alive.

"There are 11 thousand 631 signatories from 801 separate professions, including 272 healthcare workers, 2,201 are legists, 103 are academics, 1,180 are workers, 140 press workers - 45 from abroad - and 297 artists."

Concluding the statement, the coordination has underlined that "people from all types of occupational groups have contributed to the campaign."

* Click here for the full list of names, professions and cities (in Turkish)

(AS/SD)