Istanbul Bar Association reacts to Pehlivan's arrest

The Istanbul Bar Association stated that the decision to arrest Ekrem İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, means that the fundamental activities of the legal profession are being treated as a crime and that the principle of personal liberty is being clearly abolished, declaring: "The arrest warrant for our colleague is based solely on legal activities; in this respect, the foundation of our profession has been criminalized!"

The statement included the following expressions:

"Attorney Mehmet Pehlivan is a lawyer, he has practiced law, and he is a member of the Istanbul Bar Association! The arrest warrant issued for our colleague, Attorney Mehmet Pehlivan, by the Istanbul 9th Criminal Judgeship of Peace means that the fundamental activities of the legal profession are being treated as a crime and that the principle of personal liberty is being clearly abolished. This unjust interference with the right to personal liberty and security, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution, is a violation of the principles of proportionality and the prohibition against infringing upon the essence of a right, as set forth in Article 13 of the Constitution, which determines the criteria for limiting fundamental rights and freedoms.

The arrest warrant for our colleague is based solely on legal activities; in this respect, the foundation of our profession has been criminalized!

Even though the conditions for arrest were never present, our colleague's profession and his clients were clearly made the grounds for arrest, and the constitutional shield protecting personal liberty has been breached! The deprivation of our colleague's personal liberty in this manner is not only an individual violation but also an institutional and public one for lawyers. As the Istanbul Bar Association, we do not accept our colleague being deprived of his liberty due to his professional activities; we demand that this grave injustice be ended immediately and that our colleague be released. We respectfully inform the public that we will be following the process. We reiterate: Attorney Mehmet Pehlivan is a lawyer, he has practiced law, and he is a member of the Istanbul Bar Association!"

News Source: 12punto