Esra Işık, a young environmental activist, is facing charges under Articles 265 and 125 of the Turkish Criminal Code for “preventing a public official from performing their duty” and “insulting public officials.” Alongside the local Akbelen resistance movement, she has been campaigning to protect the Akbelen Forest area in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye from expropriation for lignite coal mining projects. We call on the authorities to drop all charges against her.
Esra Işık was taken into custody on 30 March 2026. The following day, the Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance ruled on her pre-trial detention for participating in a peaceful protest during visits by officials linked to the Government’s plans for the expropriation of land, olive groves and homes. After being in pre-detention for 41 days – in Izmir, about 300 km away from her local village where she was taken into custody – she was released in May 2026 under judicial control measures, including travel restrictions.
Izmir Bar Association made a statement on 31st March, saying, “This decision is not only against the freedom of one citizen. This decision is against everyone who protects their environment and seeks their rights. Esra Işık’s ‘crime’ is defending nature. Her ‘crime’ is exercising her constitutional right.”
The criminal case against her, however, continues, prolonging the legal uncertainty she faces. The hearing scheduled for 22 June 2026, which was expected to be a decision hearing, was postponed. The next hearing is now scheduled for 6 July. Her lawyers stated that “There is a desire to punish her defence of rights. The rights she is defending concern all of us. She is being prosecuted for defending life itself, and standing up for her should be the responsibility of us all.”
Esra Işık’s prosecution is linked to the wider Akbelen resistance, which is a grassroots movement that has been campaigning since 2019 to protect the environment, defend land rights, and oppose the expansion of lignite coal mining in Türkiye. In July 2021, residents and environmental defenders established a continuous watch in Akbelen Forest to prevent tree-cutting, bringing national attention to the struggle.
On 10 January 2026, a presidential decree was published for urgent expropriation, covering 679 parcels of agricultural land and olive groves in and around Akbelen Forest. The measure was justified to ensure the continued operation of lignite-fired power plants near coal-fired power plants.
The decree was subsequently challenged by local residents and environmental defenders in the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court. In May 2026, the Council of State suspended its implementation, finding that the exceptional circumstances required for urgent expropriation had not been demonstrated and warned that the measure could cause irreparable harm. The Court’s decision was widely seen as a significant victory for local communities challenging the expansion of lignite mining in the region.
As Türkiye prepares to host COP31 in November 2026, the treatment of environmental activists such as Esra Işık raises critical questions about the enabling environment for climate action and public participation. Environmental and climate protection not only requires reducing emissions and implementing adaptation policies, but also protecting those advocating for environmental protection and local communities affected by climate-related policies. Civil society must be able to freely and safely participate in environmental decision-making.
We call on the authorities to:
- Drop all charges against Esra Işık and lift all judicial control and restrictions;
- Ensure the full protection of Esra Işık’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and a fair trial, and guarantee that everyone in Türkiye can exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of criminalisation, harassment, or reprisals for dissent;
- Ensure that environmental defenders, local communities, and civil society organisations can carry out their legitimate work without fear of intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention, or criminal prosecution;
- Guarantee meaningful public participation in environmental decision-making processes, including decisions concerning land expropriation, mining projects, and energy infrastructure;
- Implement the Council of State’s ruling suspending the urgent expropriation of land around Akbelen Forest and ensure that affected communities are consulted in accordance with national and international human rights standards;
- Demonstrate, in the lead-up to COP31, a commitment to protecting civic space and the rights of environmental defenders as an essential component of effective climate action.