Günay Dağ, a lawyer and member of the People’s Law Office and the Progressive Lawyers Association, has faced repression, criminal prosecution and conviction due to his professional legal activities in Turkey. Due to politically motivated lawsuits and threats of imprisonment against him, he applied for asylum in Greece in 2020. His application was accepted in 2022, granting him international protection status. However, there is now an attempt to revoke his asylum status.
On March 20, 2025, lawyer Günay Dağ was notified that a review had been initiated to revoke his international protection status, which has been effectively disregarded for three years by withholding his residence card and passport. The notification stated that the legal procedure to revoke his status had begun, and following the objection period, his international protection status might be cancelled. The purported reason provided is an unfounded allegation that Günay Dağ “poses a threat to national security,” based solely on a confidential document dated February 27. However, no criminal investigation or legal proceedings have been initiated against Günay Dağ in Greece.
Moreover, his colleagues from the Progressive Lawyers Association, including lawyers Selçuk Kozağaçlı, Behiç Aşçı, Oya Aslan, Aytaç Ünsal, Aycan Çevik, Süleyman Gökten, Engin Gökoğlu, and Barkın Timtik, who were tried alongside Günay Dağ, have remained imprisoned since 2017. These colleagues have faced numerous human rights violations during their detention, which have been extensively documented through fact-finding missions organized by the European Association of Lawyers for Human Rights (ELDH) and various international legal organtizations. Additionally, Turkey’s Constitutional Court has confirmed that Lawyer Engin Gökoğlu was subjected to torture during his imprisonment.
Under these circumstances, revoking Günay Dağ’s international protection status not only constitutes an unjustified restriction of his freedom but also puts him at serious risk of torture.
International protection and asylum are fundamental human rights, and arbitrarily hindering these rights constitutes a severe violation. As the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), we urge the relevant Greek authorities to uphold Attorney Günay Dağ’s refugee status, considering the risks he faces and the absence of any criminal proceedings against him in Greece.