A coalition of international legal and human rights organizations, including the New York City Bar Association, issued a joint statement condemning the January 28, 2026 convictions of 10 ÖHD lawyers and 20 TUAD executives/staff by Istanbul’s 14th Heavy Penal Court. The statement argues the charges—primarily “membership of an armed organisation” and, in some instances, “propaganda”—stemmed solely from lawful professional and advocacy activities, such as prison visits, legal representation, trial monitoring, and public human rights reporting. Those convicted remain free pending appeal.
The statement also highlights alleged fair-trial violations across nearly a decade of proceedings, including reliance on surveillance evidence the coalition describes as unlawfully obtained and repeated rejection of defense requests to exclude contested material. It frames the convictions as part of an escalating campaign to intimidate lawyers and suppress independent legal advocacy and human rights monitoring in Türkiye, and urges Turkish authorities to quash the convictions, end proceedings targeting lawful professional work, and align domestic practice with international standards protecting lawyers.