Joint statement on behalf of Le Quoc Quan
On 30 August 2012, L4L issued a joint statement with Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LWRC) and Amnesty International Netherlands (Amnesty) on behalf of Le Quoc Quan. Mr. Le Quoc Quan is a prominent lawyer and human rights defender. Although he can no longer formally exercise his work as a lawyer following his disbarment, he continues […]
Monitoring the ‘Lawyers trial’ in Istanbul
In Turkey on 16 July, the trial against 46 lawyers, three employees of law firms and a journalist who are suspected of having ties with the Union of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK) started. The Turkish authorities regard the KCK as the local branch of the banned Kurdish labour party PKK. The majority of the suspected […]
Houtan Kian still in prison under harsh conditions
The former lawyer of Javid Houtan Kian has reported to have received a letter from Houtan Kian, in which he again elaborated upon the very heavy circumstances under which is detained in the prison of Tabriz, Iran. In his letter, which was reportedly smuggled out of prison in June, he describes how he has suffered […]
Joint letter for Turkish lawyers
In a joint letter to Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, L4L, together with 15 other human rights organizations, urged Ms. Knaul to undertake action in the framework of her mandate for the 46 lawyers that will stand trial this week. On November 22, 2011, a broad campaign of […]
Disciplinary decision to disbar Muhamad Mugraby never had any force and effect
On 25 June 2012, the Court of Appeal of Beirut ruled that the disciplinary decision to disbar Muhamad Mugraby from Lebanon never had any force and effect and that he never lost the right to practice law. Muhamad Mugraby, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist, fought the disciplinary decision to disbar him for nearly 10 years. […]
Ukrainian lawyer in the Netherlands at our invitation
From 20 until 23 June 2012 the Ukrainian lawyer Valentyna Telychenko paid a visit to the Netherlands at the invitation of L4L. Telychenko represents the most important political opponents of President Viktor Jakoenovitsj: former Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko, former Minister of the Interior Joeri Loetsenko and former deputy Minister of Defence Valeriy Ivashchenko. During an inspiring meeting with […]
Lawyer Le Quoc Quan repeatedly harassed
Le Quoc Quan is a well-known Vietnamese lawyer and human rights defender. He has been harassed constantly since 2007 by the Vietnamese authorities because of his human rights activities. In 2007 Le Quoc Quan returned to Vietnam, after a five-month study in the US on a Reagan-Fascell Democracy scholarship, funded by NED. After his study […]
Talk with Alba Cruz and Silvia Vázquez
IACtHR orders protection Vidulfo Rosales Sierra
On 4 May 2012 Vidulfo Rosales Sierra, lawyer at Tlachinollan and beneficiary of provisional measures ordered by the IACtHR, received written threats at the office of Tlachinollan in Chilpancingo. These threats had a clear relation to his work as a lawyer investigating the circumstances of death of two students who were killed in a demonstration […]
José Amalio Graterol arrested
Lawyers for Lawyers condemns the arrest of Mr. José Amalio Graterol, counsel to (together with his colleague and Ms. Thelma Fernández) María Lourdes Afiuni. María Lourdes Afiuni is the Venezuelan judge suspended from the bench, incarcerated for 14 months, and under house arrest since February 2011 after releasing on bail a man who had been […]
L4L Young Bar Association Benefit Dinner raises fantastic sum for L4L!
On 7 June 2012 the first Amsterdam Bar Benefit Dinner was held. During this dinner, organized by the Amsterdam Young Bar Association, auctioneer Sophie Bremer auctioned off various items, the proceeds of which went to the Lawyers for Lawyers Foundation. The auction and the dinner jointly raised a record sum that L4L is absolutely thrilled […]
IBA Bar Leaders Conference 2012
On 31 May 2012 the IBA Bar Leaders Conference was held in The Hague. The conference paid attention to ensuring the independence of bar associations, in the Netherlands as well as other countries. L4L chairman Phon van der Biesen talked about the independence of national bar associations. L4L has experienced this to be a global […]
Acquittal in murder case Dionisio Díaz García
Lawyer Dionisio Díaz García (1962-2006) has always fought diligently for human rights and the rights of employees, until he was killed on 4 December 2006. L4L reported in 2009 that the suspects were convicted to a 21-year prison sentence. However, on 15 May 2012, the suspects were acquitted by the Supreme Court of Justice in […]
Chen Guangcheng arrives in New York
On 19 May 2012, Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States, together with his wife and two children. On arrival at the New York University, where he will study law, he said he will continue to work to promote justice and equality in China. The blind Chinese human rights lawyer escaped from his heavily guarded […]
Joint letter to Minister for Guangcheng
On 7 May 2012, Lawyers for Lawyers and Amnesty International sent a letter to Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosenthal, in which they ask attention for the situation of Chen Guangcheng. The organisations are concerned about the value of the promises made to Guangcheng by the Chinese authorities, namely that they will guarantee his safety […]
Jail sentence Ali Dadkhah upheld in appeal
On April 28 2012, Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was found guilty also in appeal on charges of “actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime”, in retaliation for his human rights activities. On 4 July 2011, he was given a nine-year prison term and barred from working as a lawyer for ten years. He was charged with […]