Ümit Kocasakal visits Mehmet Pehlivan, who was transferred to Kandıra: The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office must explain the reason

Former Istanbul Bar Association President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocasakal visited lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, who was transferred from the Karatepe High-Security Prison in Çorlu to the Kandıra No. 1 F-Type Prison.

The midnight transfer of Mehmet Pehlivan, a lawyer for imprisoned presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is being tried in a case against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, has sparked debate in legal circles.

Kocasakal, who is the candidate of the Republican Power Union group in the Istanbul Bar Association elections to be held on October 24-25, made a statement in front of the prison following his visit to the Kocaeli Penal Execution Institutions Campus in Kandıra.

Transferring a lawyer in the middle of the night, without notice and without providing a reason, to a location kilometers away is not a routine procedure. There is no such thing as a routine for lawlessness or oppression.

Stating that Pehlivan's morale is high and that he is aware of the solidarity, Kocasakal noted that they would stand by their colleague during the hearings as well.

Emphasizing that administrative actions in a state of law must be justified, Kocasakal said, "The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is obligated to explain the legal and humanitarian grounds for this transfer to the public. Every act of lawlessness dismissed as 'routine' today will have legal consequences tomorrow."

Stating that "No one is above the law," Kocasakal sent a message that they would continue to follow the process regarding Pehlivan's transfer.

News Source: 12punto