Eylem Sonbahar
The trial of lawyer Seda Şaraldı, a member of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), and 11 others facing charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” has been postponed to allow the prosecution additional time to prepare its final opinion.
At the 18th hearing held at the 32nd High Criminal Court in Istanbul, the court granted the prosecutor's request for an extension, after he stated that the final opinion on the case had not yet been completed. The court scheduled the next hearing for June 24 at 2 p.m.
Şaraldı was detained on February 9, 2024, and released on February 20, 2025, under a travel ban after one year in pretrial detention. She was present in court today with her lawyers.
The case against Şaraldı and the others is based on their alleged ties to an unspecified outlawed group. Human rights organizations have criticized such prosecutions as targeting legal professionals for their work defending politically sensitive clients or causes.
At today’s hearing, the defense requested that remaining deficiencies in the case file be addressed. The court ruled that if the prosecution submits its final opinion in writing before the next session, it must be delivered to the defendants and their lawyers in advance.
The Progressive Lawyers Association, to which Şaraldı belongs, has frequently been the target of judicial investigations in Turkey. Authorities have accused the group’s members of links to banned organizations, while the ÇHD and its supporters argue that their prosecutions are politically motivated and infringe on the right to a fair trial.
