French lawyers observe a moment of silence to pay homage to colleague Ebru Timtik
Lawyers across French cities on Sept. 7 observed a moment of silence to pay homage to Turkish colleague Ebru Timtik, who died on Aug. 27, on the 238th day of her hunger strike. “We cannot let lawyers to die in a deep silence. Our colleague lost her life after a 238-day-long hunger strike, but even this was not enough to sadden the authorities,” Frederic Olive, the head of Limoges Bar Association, said.
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Several French lawyers on Sept. 7 gathered in front of the courthouses of their cities and observed a moment of silence for Ebru Timtik, who died on the 238th day of her hunger strike with the demand to be tried fairly, Euronews Turkish service reported.
“Her only fault was to defend people who were on trial for terrorism charges. In Turkey, lawyers are in a way being assimilated with the clients they are defending,” Frederic Olive, the head of Limoges Bar Association, said prior to the moment's silence.
“Wecannot let lawyers to die in a deep silence. Our colleague lost herlife after a 238-day-long hunger strike, but even this was not enoughto sadden the authorities,” Olive said.
Jean-Marie Chabaud, the head of Nimes Bar Association, listed the names of lawyers who have been so far convicted in both Turkey and Iran. “We should also remember jailed judges and journalists,” Chabaud said.
TheLyon Bar Association also released a statement, saying: “Our barreminds that defending and demanding justice is not a crime. We willcontinue to fight tirelessly to have respect for basic rightsmaintained in France and the world.”
Timtik died on Aug. 27 at a hospital where she was receiving treatment. She was among a group of 18 lawyers who were convicted in March 2019 with a total of 159 years in prison on charges of membership in the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C). Timtik alone received a jail sentence of 13 years and 6 months.