Iraqi authorities have issued arrest warrants for at least 15 private lawyers on charges of Islamic State affiliation for their past work in ISIS courts, Human Rights Watch said. Lawyers should not be prosecuted for doing their job as lawyer, nor should the authorities associate them with their clients’ cause simply because they represented them. Under article 1 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, “All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings.”
Iraqi authorities have issued arrest warrants for at least 15 private lawyers on charges of Islamic State affiliation for their past work in ISIS courts, Human Rights Watch said. Lawyers should not be prosecuted for doing their job as lawyer, nor should the authorities associate them with their clients’ cause simply because they represented them. Under article 1 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, “All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings.”