Letter on the continued detention of Mahienour El-Massry
In a letter to the Egyptian authorities Lawyers for Lawyers expressed concern about the continued detention of Egyptian human rights Lawyer Mahienour El-Massry. We also expressed our concern about El-Massry’s safety and well-being amid fears of a possible outbreak of COVID-19 in Egyptian prisons. Mahienour El-Massry is a prominent human rights lawyer known for her […]
Concerns about draft bill in connection to Iranian Bar Association
It has been reported that more than 12,000 of Iran’s legal professionals have jointly signed a letter to Chief Justice Ebrahim Raeesi in protest to a draft bill that undermines their independence and in effect replaces the Iranian Bar Association with a group of judiciary officials appointed by the government. In this letter the lawyers […]
Payam Derafshan sentenced
It has been reported that Iranian human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan has been sentenced to two years imprisonment and suspended from practicing law for a period of two additional years. Derafshan has been sentenced without access to his counsel. Derafshan’s lawyer Saeed Deghan informed the Center for Human Rights in Iran that Derafshan’s defense lawyers […]
Illegal intelligence activities against lawyers
It has been reported that human rights lawyers and other human rights defenders were targeted by illegal intelligence operations that were conducted by parts of the Colombian National Army. Multiple human rights organizations including the FIDH have expressed their concerns. On 1 May 2020, the Colombian magazine Semana published information about the existence of “secret […]
Concerns about the deterioration of Buzurgmehr Yorov’s health amidst COVID-19 pandemic
In view of serious threats to his health and life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawyers for Lawyers calls upon the government of Tajikistan to immediately release the human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov and to provide him with all necessary medical care. Buzurgmehr Yorov is one of Tajikistan’s most eminent human rights lawyers, […]
One year since Yu Wensheng was convicted after a one-day secret trial
On 9 May 2019, the Xuzhou Municipal Intermediate Court in Jiangshu province conducted a one-day secret trial of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng. Before this trial, Yu Wensheng had been detained for more than 500 days. Neither Wensheng’s wife nor his lawyers were informed about the trial beforehand, and the outcome of the procedure remains […]
Dieudonné Bashirahishize: “Defending the rule of law is not a crime”
,,History will judge. I will not stop fighting against impunity in my country” Text: Johan van Uffelen One of the lawyers for whom Lawyers for Lawyers has campaigned several times is the Burundian human rights lawyer Dieudonné Bashirahishize (1978), former vice president of the East Africa Law Society, an association of lawyers in this part […]
Pre-trial detention of Mohamed El-Baqer renewed
It has been reported that the pre-trial detention of Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer was renewed by 45 days on 5 May 2020. The renewal session took place in absentia, without Mohamed El-Baqer or his lawyer present. Photo taken from the Free Baker Facebook page Mohamed El-Baqer is an Egyptian lawyer and human rights […]
Arrest of lawyer Angelo Karlo Guillen
On 1 May 2020, lawyer Angelo Karlo Guillen was arrested during a protest in Iloilo City, the Philippines. It was reported that the lawyer was present at the protest to provide legal assistance. According to our information, 42 individuals were arrested during a protest in Jaro, Iloilo City on the first of May 2020. On that […]
Bar Associations of Ankara and Diyarbakir under investigation
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices of Ankara and Diyarbakir have initiated ex officio investigations against the Ankara Bar Association and the Diyarbakir Bar Association because of their statements denouncing Turkey’s top mufti Ali Erbaş. This has been reported by the Arrested Lawyers Initiative. During his Friday sermon on 24 April 2020, Turkey’s top mufti Ali […]
Wang Quanzhang reunited with his family in Bejing
Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang was finally reunited with his family in their house in Beijing after he served a four-and-a-half–year prison sentence. Photo taken from AsiaNews.it After his release from prison on 5 April 2020, Wang Quanzhang was being held in quarantine in Jinan, Shangdong province for a period of 14 days as a […]
House of Esteban Celada raided and vandalized
On 22 April 2020, the house of human rights lawyer Esteban Celada from Guatemala was raided and vandalized by unknown individuals whilst the lawyer was at work. This is the third raid on his home in less than five months. This was reported by Front Line Defenders. Esteban Emanuel Celada Flores is a human rights lawyer […]
Zyad al-Elaimy has been added to Egypt’s ‘terrorist list’
On 18 april 2020, Cairo’s Criminal Court has ordered to put human rights lawyer Zyad el-Elaimy and 12 other detainees on Egypt’s ‘terrorist list’ for a period of five years. This was reported by the FIDH. Zyad al-Elaimy is a human rights lawyer, former MP and one of the leaders of the Egyptian Social Democratic […]
UN urges Iran to immediately release amongst others prisoners of conscience at risk of COVID-19
Lawyers for Lawyers welcomes the initiative from UN human rights experts on 17 April 2020 to call on Iran to expand its temporary release of thousands of detainees to include prisoners of conscience and dual and foreign nationals still being held despite serious risk of COVID-19 infection. Iran has been hit hard by COVID-19 and […]
Concerns about the arrest of lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah
Lawyers for Lawyers is concerned about the arrest and detention of Sri Lankan Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah. According to our information, Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) on 14 April 2020, reportedly under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. No reasons were provided to Hejaaz Hizbullah or his family at the time of […]
Hong Kong arrests three lawyers and other human rights defenders on charges of illegal assembly
On 18 April 2020, 15 pro-democracy figures, including three lawyers, were arrested in Hong Kong for their alleged role in ”organizing and participating in unlawful assemblies” in August and October 2019. The arrest took place just hours after China’s top representative office in the semi-autonomous city declared it is not bound by Hong Kong’s constitutional […]