Trial observation of Turkish lawyers crackdown

On September 10, 2018, I have been observing the mass arrest and prosecution of a number of lawyers on terrorism charges in Istanbul trial, Turkey.

The current situation in Turkey is complicated by the civil war in neighboring Syria, the independence of the Kurdish tribes, and the conflict with President Trump, as well as the coup attempt in 2016, which led the strongman President Erdogan to declare a state of national emergency and impose a severe clampdown on dissidents. Not only insurgents, but also media and legal personnel have been mercilessly arrested in the name of terrorism. Lawyers are also arrested if their clients are suspected of terrorism by the government, even if they provide legitimate legal representation such as informing them of their right to remain silent. It is also a principle of the United Nations that the duties of lawyers should be guaranteed independent of the political situation ("Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers"). If the duties of lawyers are not guaranteed independently of the government of the time, there will be no one to protect human rights against human rights violations by the government. In the Istanbul trial, 20 lawyers sat in the defendant's seat, surrounded by many policemen, and spoke out against the case. The media is also more pro-government, so there is no coverage in the country. So, people from overseas, including myself, rushed to support the trial. We will keep our eyes on this case.