UIA-IROL Expresses Deep Concern Over the Arrest of Turkish Lawyer Naim Eminoğlu and Calls for Full Respect of Procedural Safeguards

The Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL) expresses its deep concern regarding the arrest of Turkish lawyer Naim Eminoğlu, a board member of the Istanbul Branch of the Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) and a standing human rights defender, following a police raid carried out on 10 December 2025 at the People’s Law Office in Istanbul.

 According to the information available, Mr. Eminoğlu, who had been previously imprisoned for years, is reportedly being detained again, this time on allegations of having links with the Gülen organization, which is considered a terrorist organization. These accusations, being a result of investigation initiated on an anonymous tip-off email, appear incompatible with publicly known elements of his professional record, including years of work defending fundamental rights and representing vulnerable communities, notably after the earthquakes of 6 February 2023, during which he played a central role in supporting victims and advocating for accountability. The detention and arrest of Mr. Eminoğlu occurred after he made comments regarding the 11th Judicial Reform Package – a bill which had been presented by bar associations as leading to impunity for those responsible for deaths in the earthquakes and had attracted international attention. 

 UIA-IROL is particularly concerned by the confidentiality order imposed on the investigation file and the restriction on access to counsel, which prevented Mr. Eminoğlu’s lawyers from meeting him until the next day of his detention. In the absence of compelling justification, such measures, pose a serious risk to the protection of procedural rights and contradict international standards governing the treatment of persons detained.

 UIA-IROL further notes that the Istanbul Bar Association has publicly expressed its concern and solidarity in relation to Mr. Eminoğlu’s arrest, highlighting the lack of concrete evidence in his case, and underlining the serious implications of this situation for the legal profession.

 Türkiye remains bound by its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 9 of this covenant prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, requiring that any deprivation of liberty be based on clear, lawful and non-abusive grounds. Article 14 further guarantees the right of every individual to defend themselves through legal counsel of their own choosing and to communicate with their lawyer without undue interference.

UIA-IROL also recalls the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, in particular Principle 16, which requires States to ensure that lawyers are able to perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference, and Principle 18, which provides that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions. These standards are reinforced by the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, which aims to strengthen the protection of lawyers against interference, pressure or reprisals linked to the exercise of their professional activities, in order to safeguard the proper administration of justice and the rule of law.

 This arrest appears to form part of a broader pattern in Türkiye, in which lawyers and human rights defenders are subjected to investigations and detentions on terrorism-related charges, often based on vague or uncorroborated allegations linked to purported organizational membership. UIA-IROL notes with concern that such practices risk creating a chilling effect on the legal profession and undermine the essential role of lawyers in ensuring access to justice.

Given the current lack of transparency surrounding the reasons for his detention and the restrictions imposed on his defence, UIA-IROL urges the authorities to release Naim Eminoğlu and ensure full respect for his procedural rights, including immediate and confidential access to his lawyers, judicial oversight of the lawfulness and necessity of the detention, and strict compliance with international fair-trial guarantees.

UIA-IROL will continue to monitor the situation closely and expresses its solidarity with Mr. Naim Eminoğlu, with the lawyers of the ÇHD, and with all members of the legal profession in Türkiye who face pressure, reprisals or criminalization in the exercise of their legitimate professional duties.