The Universal Rights Association (URA), based in Johannesburg, has expressed profound concerns regarding the detention of Emre Çınar, a 35-year-old Turkish lawyer who has resided in exile in Mozambique since 2017. His case, according to the URA, appears to be part of a larger pattern of transnational repression, potentially driven by political pressure from Türkiye.

Çınar was detained in Maputo on December 30, at approximately 3pm. Following his arrest, his exact whereabouts remained unknown for several days, leading to serious fears of secret or unlawful detention. Initially perceived as a routine arrest, the situation rapidly escalated into a complex legal and humanitarian crisis. Family members and local reports indicated that Çınar's phone and personal belongings were confiscated during his detention, and he was reportedly informed that he would be taken to the public prosecutor’s office. However, for an extended period, there was no official confirmation of his location within the formal justice system, and no explanation was provided to his legal representatives or family. The URA highlighted several alarming facts during this initial phase: Çınar had not been presented before a prosecutor, was not registered at any police station, and no public record of his detention existed, fueling fears of enforced disappearance or incommunicado detention.

Emre Çınar fled Türkiye in 2017 amid significant political pressure during the government's crackdown on perceived critics. He has since lived lawfully in Mozambique, where he is recognized as the legal representative of Willow International School. Early reports from Mozambican media described his detention as a potential kidnapping, intensifying worries that the case was linked to political persecution extending beyond Türkiye's borders.

On Thursday, the URA released a Public Human Rights Update, detailing ongoing due process concerns. The association referenced Amnesty International Southern Africa's public appeal to Mozambican authorities, urging them to grant Çınar confidential access to his lawyer and family. Amnesty International also stressed the critical principle that no individual should be transferred to a country where they face a genuine risk of severe human rights violations, including arbitrary detention. According to the URA, since Çınar's detention on December 30, 2025, neither his family nor his legal representatives have been granted face-to-face or confidential access to him. As of January 1, direct in-person access to legal counsel was still denied. Furthermore, URA stated that the family and lawyers have not been formally notified if Çınar has appeared before a judge, if any judicial decision authorizing his detention, arrest, or extradition has been issued, or if the legal and factual grounds of the alleged extradition request have been disclosed. While investigative proceedings may involve limited confidentiality, URA emphasized that the legal basis of detention and the right to confidential access to counsel and family cannot lawfully remain undisclosed. The absence of these fundamental safeguards, they warned, undermines the right to defense and significantly heightens the risk of arbitrary or incommunicado detention.

In response, Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) publicly confirmed on December 31 that Emre Çınar has been in custody since December 30, allegedly in connection with an extradition request from the Republic of Türkiye. SERNIC stated that Çınar is expected to be brought before a criminal investigation judge and asserted that the arrest was executed in compliance with a warrant issued by Mozambican judicial authorities. The agency insisted that the arrest