Authorities should allow Masoud Shafii to travel and do his work
The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) asked attention for the situation of Iranian lawyer Masoud Shafii in a letter to the Iranian authorities on 15 January. This lawyer represented three American hikers who were detained in Iran from July 2009 to September 2011. After their release, mr. Shafii’s house was searched […]
Lawyers organizations worldwide call on Aquino Government to address attacks against lawyers
At least 38 lawyers have been killed in the Philippines since 2004 for reasons apparently related to their profession. Many more lawyers have been threatened, harassed, intimidated, labeled as ‘enemies of the state’ or subjected to surveillance or other forms of attacks. Perpetrators are rarely identified and suspects seldom arrested and held accountable through prosecutions. […]
Lawyer Alaif Hasanov sentenced to community service
Alaif Hasanov was the lawyer of, amongst others, Leyla Yunus and Intigam Aliyev. In September 2014, Alaif Hasanov reported on physical pressure committed against his client Leyla Yunus, by her cellmate Ms. N. Huseynova. This report was published in the “Azadlyg” (“Freedom”) newspaper. Hereafter, N. Huseynova sued Alaif Hasanov for referring to her as “a […]
Authorities request to revoke license Vo An Don
On 16 January 2014, Lawyers for Lawyers sent letters to the Bar Association in connection to the request of several government offices to revoke Vo An Don’s lawyers license. Vo An Don is an associate at the Centre for Government Legal Aid in Phu Yen province. He provides free legal service to poor people, members of […]
Police arrest 12 lawyers on ‘terrorist charges’
On Monday 12 January 2015, sixteen people, amongst them twelve Spanish lawyers, were arrested by the police after a judge of the Audienca Nacional ordered their arrest. The Audience Nacional is a special and exceptional High Court, competent to try crimes of terrorism. The sixteen arrested are suspected of ‘membership of a terroristic organization’ and […]
Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2015
On 23 January 2015, the “Day of the Endangered Lawyer”, attention will be asked for the situation of lawyers in the Philippines. Since 2001, at least 41 lawyers and 18 judges have been murdered in the Philippines. The suspects of these crimes seem to be in the army and the police, but the government refuses to […]
Court declares indictment against lawyer Alexandru Bernaz null and void
On 29 December 2014, the Buiucani Court declared the indictment that was issued against lawyer Alexandru Bernaz on 9 September 2014 null and void. Bernaz is thus no longer subject of a criminal investigation. A few weeks before this decision, Lawyers for Lawyers called on the Moldovian authorities to conduct an investigation into the charges against […]
Sign the petition for Yara Sallam!
On 28 December 2014, Egyptian human rights lawyer Yara Sallam and 23 young activists were sentenced on appeal to a two year prison term plus two years of police surveillance following release. They were inter alia charged with violating the controversial ‘Protest Law’ when they organised a peaceful demonstration outside the Itihadeya palace on 21 […]
Lawyer Vitaly Cherkasov attacked after defending LGBTI-activist
On 25 November 2014, human rights lawyer Vitaly Cherkasov was attacked after defending an LGBTI rights activist in court. This was reported by Frontline Defenders on their website. The attackers sprayed an unknown liquid on Cherkasov. Vitaly Cherkasov is a member of the Interregional Association of Human Rights Organisation “Agora” which provides legal aid to […]
Disbarment of lawyer Khalid Bagirov for ‘breaching professional ethics’
On 24 December 2014, Lawyers for Lawyers wrote letters to the Azerbaijan Bar Association in connection to the possible disbarment of lawyer Khalid Bagirov. Lawyers for Lawyers has reason to belief that his disbarment is connected to his legitimate activities as attorney. Bagirov’s license to practise was suspended on 10 December 2014. The Presidium of the Bar […]
Lawyer Zinaida Mukhortova released from psychiatric clinic
On 15 December 2014, Kazakh lawyer Zinaida Mukhortova, who had been forcibly admitted to a psychiatric clinic on 2 July 2014, was released from the institution. In July 2014, Lawyers for Lawyers called on the Kazakh authorities to release Ms. Mukhortova from the psychiatric clinic, after she had been admitted in this clinic on 2 July 2014. […]
Wife of lawyer Tang Jingling appeals for his freedom
In May 2014, lawyer Tang Jingling was taken from his home by police in Guangzhou and detained on charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. On 15 December, on Mr. Jingling’s 44th birthday, his wife Wang Yanfang released a statement to declare his innocence. Tang Jingling is a human rights lawyer whose clients have included […]
Lawyers for Lawyers urges authorities to stop harassing Nasrin Sotoudeh
Lawyers for Lawyers was informed that on Wednesday 10 December 2014, Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested and detained for several hours by the Iranian authorities. Her husband confirmed her arrest on Facebook, adding that it was the authorities’ present to them on the occasion of international human rights day, which is celebrated annually on 10 December. Nasrin […]
Razan Zeitouneh one year missing
Since human rights lawyer Razan Zeitouneh, her husband and two colleagues were abducted on 9 December 2013 no one has heard of them. Razan Zeitouneh, Wael Hamada, Samira Khalil, and Nazem Hammadi disappeared in Douma, a city that is under the control of an armed opposition group. Today, exactly one year after their disappearance, fifty-seven organizations, […]
Lawyers for Lawyers calls upon authorities to release Yara Sallam
Lawyers for Lawyers was informed that Ms. Yara Sallam was arrested in Cairo on 21 June 2014 following police interference in a peaceful protest against the “anti-protest law”. While Ms. Sallam reportedly was around the site of the protest, she did not participate in it. Still, she was arrested, together with over 20 activists. Since […]
Lawyer Alexandru Bernaz criminally prosecuted on improper grounds
On 5 December 2014, Lawyers for Lawyers expressed its concern to the Moldovan authorities about lawyer Alexandru Bernaz. According to Lawyers for Lawyers’s information, Mr. Bernaz is subjected to improper interference by legal enforcement bodies due to his legitimate activities as a defense counsel. Last summer, Mr. Bernaz filed complaints against prosecutors of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office. […]