Concern over Turkish lawyer's detention in Mozambique

The Universal Rights Association (URA) has raised urgent concerns over the detention of Emre Çınar, a Turkish lawyer living in exile in Mozambique, warning that the case may reflect a broader pattern of transnational repression linked to political pressure from Turkey. Çınar (35) has lived in Maputo since 2017, reports the Mail & Guardian. According to URA, he was detained on 30 December at around 3pm. For several days following his arrest, his whereabouts were unknown, prompting fears that he had been subjected to secret or unlawful detention. What initially appeared to be a routine arrest, URA said, quickly evolved into a legal and humanitarian grey zone. Family members and local reports indicated that Çınar’s phone and personal belongings were confiscated at the time of his detention. He was reportedly told he would be taken to the Public Prosecutor’s office. However, for days there was no confirmation of his location within the formal justice system, and no explanation was provided to his lawyers or family. URA highlighted a series of troubling facts during this initial period: Çınar had not appeared before a prosecutor, was not registered at any police station, and there was no publicly available record of his detention. These gaps raised fears of enforced disappearance or incommunicado detention. Çınar fled Turkey in 2017 amid political pressure following the government’s crackdown on alleged critics. He has since lived lawfully in Mozambique and is known locally as the legal representative of Willow International School. On 31 December, Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service publicly confirmed that Çınar has been in custody since 30 December, allegedly in connection with an extradition request from Turkey, and that he is expected to be brought before a criminal investigation judge.

 

Full Mail & Guardian report