Rights Organizations Demand Release of Selçuk Kozağaçlı

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) have demanded “immediate release” of Progressive Legists’ Association Chair Selçuk Kozağaçlı.

Progressive Legists’ Association (ÇHD) Chair and a People’s Law Bureau lawyer Selçuk Kozağaçlı was detained at around 10 p.m. last night (October 8) and taken to İstanbul Security Directorate on Vatan Street. 18 lawyers from the association are in custody.

“Detention is related to Kozağaçlı representing Gülmen and Özakça”

The joint statement by the rights organizations is as follows:

“Kozağaçlı, the Chair of Progressive Legists’ Association which closed through a statutory decree issued under the State of Emergency, was detained on November 8 in İstanbul. It was stated that the investigation is confidential and it is yet to be explained what the concrete accusation is.

“During the State of Emergency, presumption of innocence as well as personal freedom and security has been frequently neglected during the State of Emergency and judicial pressure against all rights defenders and dissident circles of the society has been continuously practiced. Unfortunately, this time the target is Selçuk Kozağaçlı.

“Detention of a human rights advocate lawyer who fights torture is unacceptable. We are of the opinion that Selçuk Kozağaçlı representing Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça who have been on hunger strike for 246 days, and also representing many people resisting on Yüksel Street in Ankara has an effect in this detention”. (AS/TK)