Oral statement at UN Human Rights Council
On 22 September 2016, Lawyers for Lawyers, together with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre and Judges for Judges, delivered an oral statement during the 33th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. During this session, the Universal Periodic Review Outcome Report of Swaziland was adopted. Earlier, Lawyers for […]
Concerns about arrest lawyer Jamshed Yorov
Lawyers for Lawyers is concerned about the arrest and detention of lawyer Jamshed Yorov. We have reason to belief that his arrest is connected to his legitimate activities as attorney, and shared our concerns in a letter to the Tajik authorities. Jamshed Yorov represented Muhammadali Hayit, the deputy chairman of the banned opposition Islamic Renaissance […]
Submission to Human Rights Committee
In October 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee will review Colombia’s compliance with its international human rights obligations. Lawyers for Lawyers submitted a submission for this review, to inform the Committee about the situation of lawyers in Colombia. Due to our participation in the mission Caravana Internacional de Juristas last August, Lawyers for Lawyers was able to […]
Submission to Human Rights Committee
In October 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee will review Azerbaijan’s compliance with its international human rights obligations. Lawyers for Lawyers submitted a submission for this review, to inform the Committee about the situation of lawyers in Azerbaijan. In the submission, Lawyers for Lawyers highlighted that the Azerbaijani authorities do not always uphold the necessary guarantees for […]
What a weekend!
On 17 and 18 September, the Mr. Rally and the Dam tot Damloop took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Both were fundraising events for Lawyers for Lawyers. We want to thank all the participants and the organization of the Mr. Rally and our L4L-runnersteam of the Dam tot Damloop for their enthusiasm and spirit. With both […]
Joint open letter to President Sisi
This August, lawyers Mahienour el-Massry and Malek Adly were both released. Mahienour had served her 15 months prison sentence; Malek was released pending further investigation in the case against him. However, both of them are facing (additional) charges and/or criminal investigations, as do many more lawyers in Egypt. Lawyers for Lawyers remains gravely concerned about the […]
Good news: Ramazan Demir and Ayse Acinikli released
Ramazan Demir and Ayşe Acinikli were released on 7 September 2016, after five months in pre trial detention on suspicion of terrorist activities. Ramazan Demir previously defended both journalists and lawyers who were prosecuted by the Turkish government in mass terrorist trials. Ramazan Demir and Ayse Acinikli were on trial with Irfan Arason, Huseyin Bogatekin, […]
Increase of threats against lawyers
On 2 October 2016, Colombians narrowly rejected the landmark peace deal between the Colombian government and the FARC. During the conclusion of the agreement, Wout Albers and Marit Balkema joined the ‘Caravana Internacional de Juristas’, a mission of lawyers, prosecutors and judges from 12 different countries took place at the request of endangered Colombian lawyers. […]
Call on authorities to accept UPR recommendations on lawyers
During the interactive dialogue of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Tajikistan on 6 May 2016, Tajikistan received several recommendations with regard to the functioning and the role of lawyers in the country. Lawyers for Lawyers called on the authorities to accept and implement these recommendations in a prompt manner, to guarantee the proper functioning […]
Malek Adly released
On 28 August 2016, Egyptian human rights lawyer Malek Adly was released from prison pending further investigations in his case. This was after a Prosecution appeal was dismissed the day before, upholding a Court order of 25 August to release the human rights lawyer. Malek Adly works for the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social […]
Lawyers killed in Quetta suicide attack
On 8 Augustus 2016, a suicide bomber attacked a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, killing dozens of people. Among the victims were many lawyers, who had gathered to mourn the loss of their colleague, the former president of the Balochistan Bar Association, Bilal Anwar Kasi who died only hours earlier. Mr. Kasi was shot dead in […]
Mahienour el-Massry released
Lawyers for Lawyers welcomes the release of human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Massry of last Saturday 13 August, after she had served her 15-months prison sentence. On 31 May 2015 the Court of Appeal confirmed the conviction of Ms. El-Massry for, among others, “assaulting security forces”. This was after she and other lawyers went to Raml […]
Human rights lawyer Wang Yu released on bail
How much bail was paid is unknown, but Wang Yu had a high price to pay. Prior to this unexpected release, a videotaped confession of Wang Yu was circulated on Chinese state media. In this interview, Wang Yu praised the Chinese authorities, stating: “All my rights were protected. I enjoyed a civilized legal treatment”. Wang […]
Sedition charges against lawyer Surendran
Lawyers for Lawyers has called on the Attorney General of Malaysia to drop the sedition charges against lawyer N. Surendran. In August 2014, two separate sedition charges were brought against mr. Surendran. We understand that both charges were connected to critical comments made by mr. Surendan in the context of the case of his client […]
Concluding observations UN Human Rights Committee
In June 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee reviewed Kazakhstan’s compliance with its international human rights obligations. The Committee has hereafter issued the concluding observations of this review. Lawyers for Lawyers welcomes the recommendation in which the Committee calls on the Kazakh authorities to “review the powers of the Office of the Prosecutor General to ensure […]
Turkey detains lawyers after failed coup
Since the attempted coup in Turkey on 15 July 2016, more than 60.000 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs, many of whom were also arrested. Among them are 2.745 judges. Now, lawyers are also targeted. Prominent human rights lawyer and journalist Orhan Kemal Cengiz and his wife Sibel Semira Hurtas were arrested […]
