The European Democratic Lawyers (AED-EDL) and the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH), which represent lawyers in 16 European countries, are united in their deep concern at news of the arrest on one day of 51 lawyers – among them most of the defenders of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan – during raids, which were simultaneously carried out in many Turkish cities and provinces.
They call upon the Turkish authorities to implement the following measures without delay
the immediate release and reinstatement in their duties as lawyers of all the lawyers who have been arrested or threatended
the restoration of the full and free exercise of their independent advocacy role
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