Arrest of Öztürk Türkdoğan
Türkiye
Lawyer and human rights defender Öztürk Türkdoğan was arrested during a police raid on his home in Ankara on the 19th of March 2021. While Öztürk Türkdoğan was released on the same day under judicial control, the charges against him remain unknown. This was reported by the Human Rights Association.
Besides being a lawyer, Öztürk Türkdoğan is the chair of the Human Rights Association (İ HD: the oldest and largest human rights organization in Turkey), committee member of the Human Rights Foundation (HRFT) and member of the Ankara Bar Association. The Human Rights Association was consulted in light of the launch of the so-called ‘Human Rights Action Plan’ by the Turkish government of Erdogan to be implemented over a two-year period.
Öztürk Türkdoğan was arrested during a search in his home without the presence of a lawyer. Furthermore, the Ankara 3rd Criminal Judgeship of Peace issued a confidentiality order on the investigation. We were informed that he was held without access to his lawyer for several hours. It has been reported that Öztürk Türkdoğan was eventually taken to the courthouse and was released after giving his statement to the prosecutor. However, Öztürk Türkdoğan is subjected to judicial control measures. According to the Human Rights Association, the judicial control measures entail that Öztürk Türkdoğan “has to present to the police station closest to his residence twice a month to sign a document, and an international travel ban the same day after his statement was taken by the prosecutor’s office”.