Webinar: The role of lawyers in spite of the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a rise not only in the number of afflictions with the coronavirus, but also in violations of human rights all over the world. Thus, despite varying degrees of lockdowns and quarantines, lawyers became a species of frontliners whose services are considered essential. The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and […]
Oral statement Turkey UPR outcome
On 29 September 2020, Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, and the Law Society of England and Wales delivered an oral statement during the 45th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. During this session, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Outcome Report of Turkey was adopted. Lawyers […]
Letter on the continued detention of Buzurgmehr Yorov
Today, exactly five years after the arrest of Tajik lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, Lawyers for Lawyers has sent a letter to the Tajik authorities calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Buzurgmehr Yorov. Lawyers for Lawyers has grave concerns about the situation of our colleague, lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov who was arrested on 28 September 2015. […]
Global call for international human rights monitoring mechanisms on China
Lawyers for Lawyers has joined more than 300 civil society groups from over 60 countries in a joint open call to the UN Secretary General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN member states to call for an international mechanism to address human rights violations by China.The joint open call was presented as an […]
Judicial harassment of lawyer Bilal Kagzi
Lawyers for Lawyers was informed about the judicial harassment faced by Indian human rights lawyer Mohammad Bilal Gulam Rasul Kagzi in the past months. Mr. Bilal Kagzi is a lawyer who has been working in the Adivasi area, taking up many human rights cases over the last decades. He represents victims of custodial torture and […]
Nasrin Sotoudeh ends hunger strike as health deteriorates
On 26 September 2020, Nasrin Sotoudeh ended her hunger strike that she had been on since 11 August. This was announced by Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s husband. Ms. Sotoudeh began a hunger strike on 11 August 2020. In a letter detailing her reasons for starting a hunger strike, Ms. Sotoudeh has demanded the release of […]
Irma van den Berg awarded with the 2020 Gouden Zandloper
The president of the board of Lawyers for Lawyers, Irma Van Den Berg, has received the 2020 Gouden Zandloper award for the most socially involved lawyer! Irma has dedicated the award to the lawyers at risk that are being supported by Lawyers for Lawyers. Click here to read more about the award and watch a […]
Joint letter on the arrest and detention of Maksim Znak and Illia Salei
In a joint letter, Lawyers for Lawyers and the Law Society of England and Wales have expressed concern about the arrest and detention of lawyers Maksim Znak and Illia Salei in the Republic of Belarus. According to our information, Maksim Znak and Illia Salei were arrested on 9 September 2020. Law enforcement officers have also […]
Joint letter on judicial harassment of Henderson Maldonado
Growing concern as Venezuela continues to target human rights movement Photo taken from Front Line Defenders Front Line Defenders and Lawyers for Lawyers are deeply concerned about the ongoing targeting of human rights defenders, including lawyers, and non-profit organisations, in Venezuela in the context of the continuing humanitarian crisis and its exacerbation caused by the […]
One year since the arrest of Mahienour El-Massry
Exactly one year ago, on 22 September 2019, Mahienour El-Massry was arrested in front the State Security Prosecution office in Cairo, where she was following up on the investigations into a lawyer who was detained. El-Massry remains in detention until now. El-Massry’s arrest seems to be connnected to her legitimate activities as a lawyer and […]
Joint oral statement during id WGAD
On 21 September, Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) delivered an oral statement during the interactive dialogue with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD). L4L and LRWC asked the Council to urge Iran and Turkey to release all detained human rights defenders. Moreover, L4L and LRWC suggested that the Working […]
Nasrin Sotoudeh hospitalized after hunger strike
Jailed Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been hospitalized on 19 September 2020, after her health situation worsened after being on hunger strike for over 40 days. Ms. Sotoudeh began a hunger strike on 11 August 2020. In a letter detailing her reasons for starting a hunger strike, Ms. Sotoudeh has demanded the release […]
Court of Cassation upholds the prison sentences of all lawyers from the ÇHD
On 15 September 2020, the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation has ruled that the convictions of all ÇHD lawyers, except for Barkın Timtik, Selçuk Kozağaçlı and Ezgi Çakır, shall be upheld. On 20 March 2019, the Istanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court in Silivri Court House sentenced 18 lawyers to prison sentences between 3 […]
Abdullah Al-Shamlawi avoids prison sentence for social media posts
Prominent human rights lawyer Abdullah Al-Shamlawi from Bahrain was initially convicted on 30 June 2020 over a number of tweets he posted. However, Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy (BIRD) reported that Bahrain’s Third High Criminal Court suspended his sentence on charges of “inciting hatred of a religious sect”. Moreover, another charge of “misusing a […]
Joint letter on arrest 55 lawyers from Ankara
In a letter to the Turkish authorities Lawyers for Lawyers, together with the Law Society of England and Wales, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Deutscher Anwaltverein, expressed concern about the ordered arrest and judicial harassment […]
Joint letter on the continued detention and precarious health situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh and Amirsalar Davoodi
In a joint letter Lawyers for Lawyers, the Law Society of England and Wales and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada have expressed concerns about the continued detention and precarious health situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh and Amirsalar Davoodi, both human rights lawyers in Iran. Ms. Sotoudeh is currently serving a sentence of 38 years in prison and 148 […]