Turkish lawyers defending human rights or representing clients who challenge state policies have found themselves increasingly caught in the crossfire of the crackdown on its main opposition party.

At least 10 defence and human rights lawyers have been jailed or arrested in Istanbul alone since the start of this "black year", said Ibrahim Kaboglu, head of the city's bar association.

Mehmet Pehlivan, who was representing Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, also found himself locked up after his client was jailed in March as part of a graft investigation critics have denounced as politically motivated.

Just days later, Pehlivan's own lawyer was also arrested, denouncing the move as "intimidation".

The arrest of Imamoglu, seen as the only opposition leader with a realistic chance of beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box, triggered Turkey's worst street protests in years.

Six months on, there are still no formal charges against him.

Kaboglu himself and his executive board are also facing legal action after being dismissed in March by prosecutors who accused them of spreading........

© Al Monitor