ISTANBUL – Lawyer Fırat Epözdemir, a board member of the Istanbul Bar Association, was detained at Istanbul Airport upon his return from a visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The visit had been organized by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
Authorities issued a one-day detention order against Epözdemir, barring him from meeting with his lawyer for 24 hours. No details regarding the investigation have been disclosed. Additionally, police conducted searches at his home and office.
The Istanbul Bar Association criticized the detention in a statement, calling it unlawful:
"Our Board Member, Lawyer Fırat Epözdemir, who attended the Council of Europe Defense Lawyers’ Meeting in Strasbourg four days ago, was detained today at Istanbul Airport upon his return. The application of detention instead of summoning him for questioning is clearly unlawful, and the process is being closely monitored by our Bar Association."
