OSCE side event – Addressing attacks on lawyers and the rule of law in Turkey: a profession on trial

Türkiye

On Friday, 4 October, Lawyers for Lawyers will be hosting a side-event at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw entitled ‘Addressing Attacks on Lawyers and the Rule of Law in Turkey: A Profession on Trial’. For years, lawyers in Turkey have been unable to fulfil their professional duties effectively due to external pressure and improper interference. Attacks range from threats and surveillance to judicial harassment, including arbitrary (mass) arrest, detention, and criminal prosecution. Often, their prosecution is a direct consequence of the identification of lawyers with their clients or their clients’ causes.   

In addition, emergency decree laws have closed down dozens of lawyers’ associations all over the country, with more recently also bar associations being targeted. On top of this, amendments to Turkey’s Attorneyship Law aiming to reform Bar Associations in Turkey are perceived as an attempt to fragment professional bodies and use information about political affiliation for potential persecution of their members.   

The sustained and systemic attacks on lawyers and the improper interferences with their legitimate work have created a climate in which lawyers eventually refuse to represent clients connected to politically sensitive or controversial issues. This severely compromises the universal right to effective legal representation and access to justice for all.   

During this side event, expert speakers will delve into the difficulties lawyers in Turkey face when conducting their professional activities. They will consider the implications of the increasing rights violations of lawyers in Turkey, the threats to the independence of bar associations in Turkey, and the importance of persistent attention and pressure from governments on both multilateral and bilateral levels, as well as the role played by civil society solidarity movements. Last, the speakers will offer recommendations and suggestions for the OSCE members and civil society representatives on how to address the situation of lawyers in Turkey and what measures to take to enable them to play their important roles as essential agents of the administration of justice.   

Co-sponsored by: The Law Society of England and Wales, the International Commission of Jurists, and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute.  

 The speakers are Kerem Altiparmak, International Commission of Jurists, lawyer at Ankara Bar Association, Emma Sinclair-Webb, Human Rights Watch, Associate Director and Turkey Director, Tony Fisher, Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Law Society of England and Wales  

Tara Fiechter, Programme Officer at Lawyers for Lawyers, will moderate the event.   

Download the PDF version of the flyer here.