Police beat up lawyer Kennedy Masiye
On 6 November 2014, lawyer Kennedy Masiye was physically attacked by police officers, when he tried to intervene in an assault by police officers on journalist Itai Dzamara. Masiye was left severely injured with a broken arm. In October 2014, Itai Dzamara, organised the Occupy Africa Unity Square, a sit-in in which the protesters demanded […]
Preliminary report on findings Caravana 2014
A short preliminary report on the first findings of the Caravana Internacional de Juristas (Caravana) mission was published in October 2014. During the Caravana 2014 mission, which took place from 23-30 August, a group consisting of 70 lawyers and judges visited Colombia to investigate the situation of lawyers and judges in this country. Two volunteers of the Lawyers […]
Court extends pre-trial detention Intigam Aliyev
On 24 October 2014, the Nasimi District Court in Baku uled to extend the pre-trial detention of Intigam Aliyev until 8 February 2015. At the hearing it became clear that Aliyev is in poor health conditions. A petition from Itigam Aliev’s lawyer to release his defendant on bail or to convert his detention to house arrest […]
Court: Interrogation of lawyer illegal
Russian Lawyer who refused to testify against his client vindicated by the Court Lawyer Yegor Mylnikov has been forced to stop the defence of his client in a criminal case twice. In both cases, he had to defend himself in court. After he won his cases, Mylnikov received a formal warning from the Bar Association, […]
Upcoming hearing in case of Maseko and Makhubu
On November 3, 2014 a hearing in the case of Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu is scheduled at the Supreme Court of Swaziland, in which the charges against them could be dropped. On 17 July lawyer Maseko and journalist Makhubu, were convicted of ‘contempt of court’ by the High Court of Swaziland. Shortly afterwards they were both sentenced […]
Nasrin Sotoudeh’s law license suspended, sit-in to protest
On 18 October 2014, a disciplinary investigation panel of Tehran’s Bar Association communicated a ruling to Ms. Sotoudeh that her law license is to be suspended for three years based on a complaint filed by the Islamic Revolution Court’s Prosecution Office. In August 2014, a first disciplinary panel of the Tehran Bar Association rejected a similar request filed by the same complainant and […]
Draft bill on attorneyship threatens independence legal profession
The Iranian judiciary has drafted a legislative proposal on attorneyship in 2012 which introduces state supervision of lawyers. The draft proposal has been met with serious concern from Iranian lawyers and international organizations in recent years, including from the International Bar Association. No formal introduction to the parliament of the 2012-proposal took place until very […]
Lobby in Geneva for UPR Iran and Kazakhstan
On Monday, October 6th, and Wednesday, October 8th, Lawyers for Lawyers attended ’pre-sessions’ organized by the NGO ‘UPR-Info’. During these sessions NGOs have the opportunity to lobby country delegations in Geneva, to take over the recommendations of UPR submissions previously submitted by NGOs. Lawyers for Lawyers has filed submissions for Kazakhstan and Iran, in which recommendations […]
Martin Ennals Award for human rights lawyer
On 7 October 2014, the Martin Ennals Jury presented Alejandra Ancheita with the 2014 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA). Alejandra Ancheita is a Mexican lawyer and activist who leads the fight for the rights of the migrants, workers, and indigenous communities of her native country to raise their standard of living. The […]
2000 lawyers called for repeal of the ‘sedition Act’
The Malaysian Bar Council on 16 October organized the ‘Walk for Peace and Freedom’ as a 1.3 kilometer march in protest against the recent string of arrests, charges, investigations and prosecutions under the archaic 1948 Sedition Act. The Sedition Act has frequently been misused with increasing frequency to obstruct legal professionals and lawyers who express […]
Joint statement for release of Khalil Ma’touq
The Syrian government should immediately and unconditionally free the prominent human rights lawyer Khalil Ma’touq and his colleague Mohamed Zaza, 26 organizations, including L4L, said on 2 October 2014, on the second anniversary of their enforced disappearance. Ma’touq, director of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research, is a human rights lawyer who has […]
Letter on draft lawyers bill
On 23 September, Lawyers for Lawyers sent a letter to the Indonesian authorities to express its concern about the Bill on Attorneys that is currently deliberated by the People’s Representative Council. Although the proposed bill contains several provisions that should further enable Indonesian advocates to practice law in freedom and independence, in the view of Lawyers […]
ISIS executes human rights lawyer
Lawyers for Lawyers was informed about the execution of a human rights lawyer from Iraq. On 22 September 2014, human rights lawyer Samira Saleh al-Naimi was publicly executed in Al Mosul city by the Islamic State’s (ISIS) militia. Reportedly she was sentenced to “public execution” by a ‘Sharia Court’ for apostasy on charges relating to […]
Lawyer Mahienour el-Massry released
On 21 September 2014, the Court of Appeal in Alexandria accepted the petition to quash human rights lawyer Mahienour el-Massry’s sentence. She was released the very same day. El-Massry was sentenced on 2 January, 2014 (in her absence) to a two year prison sentence and a fine of 50.000 Egyptian pounds (about 5.000 Euros), on allegations […]
Sri Lanka Situation of lawyers deteriorates rapidly
The situation of lawyers in Sri Lanka is deteriorating rapidly. Lawyers for Lawyers was informed about- and contacted by several lawyers who are the victim of (death) threats in connection to their work. This week, Lawyers for Lawyers wrote letters to the Sri Lanka authorities, urging them to properly investigate these threats, bring the perpetrators to justice and […]
Human rights lawyer Gustaf Kawer at risk of arrest
The Papua Regional Police has opened an investigation into human rights lawyer Gustaf Kawer in connection with “crimes against public authority”. The charges, under articles 211 and 212 of the Criminal Code, refer to events alleged to have occurred during a court hearing in June 2014 while he was acting as a defence lawyer in […]
