The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) welcomes the 26th Istanbul Heavy Penal Court’s acquittal of the president and 10 members of the executive board of the Istanbul Bar Association of terrorism-related charges arising from a public statement of the Bar Association.
“The ICJ considers that these proceedings should never have been initiated. Prosecuting elected bar leaders for statements made in the legitimate exercise of their institutional mandate on matters of public interest is incompatible with international human rights law and standards and undermines the independence of the legal profession”, Temur Shakirov, Director of the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme, said. “While the acquittal is a positive outcome, the fact that in those circumstances a criminal case was started in the first place, and that it was allowed to continue to trial has already caused serious harm and risks deterring lawyers and bar associations from engaging in legitimate public debate.”
The ICJ stresses that the authorities must ensure that lawyers and their professional bodies are not subjected to prosecution or other improper pressure solely for carrying out their lawful functions or for speaking on issues of human rights and the administration of justice.”
The ICJ recalls that international human rights law and standards guarantee lawyers and their professional associations the right to participate in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice, and the promotion and protection of human rights, without fear of intimidation, harassment, or sanction. The use of broadly framed counter-terrorism provisions against bar associations for peaceful expression is contrary to these obligations.
The ICJ urges the Turkish authorities to refrain from pursuing any further proceedings in this case, including appeals, and to ensure that similar prosecutions are not brought in the future. The authorities should also take concrete steps to ensure the independence and self-governance of the legal profession in law and in practice.
Background
The case concerned a public statement issued by the Istanbul Bar Association in December 2024 following the killing of two Kurdish journalists and related events. Prosecutors sought the conviction of the Bar Association president and 10 executive board members on terrorism-related charges. After trial hearings held between 5 and 9 January 2026, the 26th Istanbul Heavy Penal Court acquitted all defendants.
