Joint call by lawyers: ‘We don’t want to lose Ebru and Aytaç’

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Lawyers from Turkey and several countries of the world have released a joint statement for arrested lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal.

On a death fast in prison for their right to a fair trial, arrested lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal were not released despite a Forensic Medical report indicating that "they were not in a state to stay in prison." Shortly afterwards, they were taken to two separate hospitals on July 30.

Accordingly, hundreds of lawyers from Turkey and several countries, including Algeria, Belgium, Morocco, US and Romania, have released a statement titled "Call for life" and briefly stated the following:

"The medical conditions of our colleagues are critical; in the event that their immediate release is not ensured, it will lead to irreversible consequences.

"We do not want to lose Ebru and Aytaç. If their release is ensured, we hereby undertake that we will be insistent about their reconsideration of this decision that they have taken about their lives.

"We are the lawyers who have assumed the duty of defense in the face of rights violations systematically targeting our colleagues, including lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal, since 2011.

'Law was trampled upon in every way'

"While the right to a fair trial and judicial independence have been destroyed in Turkey in this process, there has been an attempt to subdue the right and profession of defense. Lawyers, including Ebru and Aytaç, have been convicted with the law being trampled upon in every possible way.

"We lawyers, as the followers and witnesses of this process, support the demands of Ebru and Aytaç without dispute and hear the call they raise.

'Ensure their release as soon as possible'

"The constitution of the right to a fair trial and legal guarantee is our demand too and our struggle on this path will continue.

"It is beyond dispute that, in this struggle, we need the existence of Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal, we need them to be among us and by our side. We hope that it is known by our colleagues.

"We make a call to the authorities, especially the Court of Cassation, from here: The medical conditions of our colleagues are critical; in the event that their immediate release is not ensured, it will lead to irreversible consequences. We do not want to lose Ebru and Aytaç.

"If their release is ensured, we hereby undertake to be insistent about their reconsideration of this decision that they have taken about their lives!"

What happened?

On a death fast in prison for their right to a fair trial, arrested lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytaç Ünsal were not released despite a Forensic Medical report indicating that "they were not in a state to stay in prison." Shortly afterwards, they were taken to two separate hospitals on July 30.

An objection was lodged against the ruling of the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court, which ruled that death-fasting lawyers should remain behind bars.

However, the court rejected this objection, saying: "Considering that the ruling of continued arrest given for defendant Ebru Timtik and defendant Aytaç Ünsal on July 30, 2020 is in compliance with due process and the law, there is nothing to rectify in the ruling, the objection has been rejected..."

The objection to the rejection has been rejected as well.

On a death fast for 235 days as of today (August 24), Ebru Timtik is currently held in Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in İstanbul. Death fasting for 202 days, Aytaç Ünsal is in Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, which is also in İstanbul. (RT/SD)