Progressive Legists’ Association Chair Kozağaçlı Detained

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Progressive Legists’ Association (ÇHD) Chair and a People’s Law Bureau lawyer Selçuk Kozağaçlı has been detained.

People’s Law Bureau stated that Kozağaçlı was detained at around 10 p.m. last night (October 8) and taken to İstanbul Security Directorate on Vatan Street.

Lawyer Murat Çelik made the following statement in the wake of his meeting with Kozağaçlı at the police station:

“His spirits are high, he sent his regards. He said that he was detained by four-five police officers by being put into a car by force as he was on his way to the meeting he would held with bar presidents. Police told them that there was a detention warrant for him. He was prepared for similar practices.

“He was subjected to violence during custody. He said that he was battered during the search at the police station”.

The association was closed; 18 lawyers are in detention on remand

The ÇHD was among the 375 associations and nine media outlets that were closed through Statutory Decree No. 677 issued under the State of Emergency.

14 lawyers from ÇHD’s İstanbul and Ankara branches and People’s Law Bureau were detained a day before the hearing of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça whom the lawyers represented.

Lawyers Didem Baydar, Şükriye Erden, Ayşegül Çağatay, Ebru Timtik, Aytaç Ünsal, Zehra Özdemir, Yağmur Ereren, Engin Gökoğlu, Süleyman Gökten, Aycan Çiçek, Naciye Demir, Behiç Aşçı, Barkın Timtik and Özgür Yılmaz have been under arrest since September 21. Lawyer Ahmet Mandacı was arrested 10 days after it. Besides, an intern attorney is under arrest as well.

Lawyers Özlem Gümüştaş and Sezin Uçar from the Law Bureau of the Oppressed were arrested ahead of the Suruç trial on October 25. (AS/TK)