Burak Sald?ro?lu, a Turkish lawyer, was arrested on Saturday for distributing hard copies of jailed ?stanbul Mayor Ekrem ?mamo?lu’s restricted social media posts. The detention has drawn criticism for being politically motivated.
A Turkish lawyer was arrested in ?stanbul on Saturday for distributing hard copies of restricted social media posts of the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem ?mamo?lu, prompting accusations of political suppression.
Burak Sald?ro?lu, formerly a youth leader in Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained at his home and taken to the courthouse in ?stanbul’s Ça?layan. He faced charges of “insulting the president” under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, a law frequently used to prosecute critics of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. The judges at the Criminal Court of Peace ordered he be remanded in custody, a decision critics said was procedurally irregular, as lawyers in Turkey are typically summoned to court for initial proceedings, rather than being detained in the first instance.
Sald?ro?lu’s arrest stems from his response to the censorship of ?mamo?lu’s account on the social media platform X. ?mamo?lu, a prominent CHP politician and Erdo?an’s main political rival, was detained on 19 March on charges of corruption, bribery and alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group involved in a decades-long conflict with the Turkish state. The authorities placed restrictions on ?mamo?lu’s X account, blocking access to certain posts, leading Sald?ro?lu to print and distribute them on the streets while sharing images of his action online.
The ?stanbul Bar Association issued a statement on X condemning Sald?ro?lu ‘s arrest of as a violation of freedom of expression and the right to defence and arguing that his detention, ordered with no justification being given, undermines legal principles. The arrest is an abuse of authority and threatens lawyers’ safety and freedom while severely restricting citizens’ access to defence, the statement noted, reflecting concerns about the Turkish government’s crackdown on dissent following ?mamo?lu’s own detention on 19 March. The association also noted that the lawyer was detained for posts made within the scope of free expression, and in spite of the requirements for remand in custody not being met. They described the decision as a grave abuse of office, impacting both the legal profession’s core freedoms and public access to justice. The Young Lawyers’ Council, part of the bar association and the Centre for Lawyers’ Rights both pledged to monitor Sald?ro?lu’s case closely, vowing to defend the law, the profession and their colleague.
?mamo?lu’s detention followed his rising prominence after CHP victories in ?stanbul’s 2019 and 2024 municipal elections, challenging Erdo?an’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Turkish lawyer arrested for distributing copies of jailed ?stanbul mayor’s restricted posts
