Iran Mohammed Ali Dadkhah convicted to 9 years in prison
Lawyer and co-founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) Mohammad Ali Dadkhah was convicted to a nine-year prison sentence and barred from working as a lawyer for ten years on 4 July 2011. He was charged with attempting to overthrow the ruling system, according to semi-official news agency ISNA. Dadkhah represented many supporters […]
China Amnesty publishes report on legal profession in China
In an Amnesty International report published on 30 June 2011, the increased pressure on and control of the legal profession by the authorities in China is detailed. According to the report, “the Chinese government has unleashed an uncompromising series of measures intended to rein in the legal profession and suppress lawyers pursuing human rights cases.” […]
Syria Muhanad al-Hassani released from prison after 2 years
Muhanad al-Hassani was released after 22 months in prison on 3 June 2011. Almost a year earlier, he was convicted to a three year prison sentence. Earlier, human rights lawyer Haitham al-Maleh was also released before completing a three year prison sentence. The Syrian regime has granted amnesty to many political prisoners at the end […]
Azerbaijan L4L calls on you to help ill lawyer
Lawyer Isakhan Ashurov from Azerbaijan is not afraid to stick out his neck: he mainly takes on cases other lawyers not dare to take on because of their political sensitivity, such as cases against journalists who criticize the government. He is described as the most important lawyer and advocate of democracy in the country. He […]
Colombia Final report Caravana: legal profession still under attack
Here you can download the final report of the ‘Caravana Internacional de Juristas’, an fact-finding mission in August 2010 to Colombia, in which L4L participated.
Syria crackdown also hits human rights lawyers
The unrest in Syria has been going on for weeks, but has so far seemingly only resulted in numerous arrests of people who can in one way or another be associated with the protests. Arrests of family members and neighbors of protesters and dissidents seem to be used as leverage. The security forces in Syria […]
Jemen Khaled al-Anesi: ‘Iedereen kan mij aanvallen’
Al bijna drie maanden bivakkeert de Jemenitische advocaat Khaled Al-Anesi in een tentje op het plein voor de universiteit van de Jeminitische hoofdstad Sana’a. Hij vertrekt niet voordat president Saleh is afgetreden. ‘We hebben geen keus. Hij moet weg.’ Khaled Al-Anesi kàn ook niet van het plein af. Hij wordt vrijwel dagelijks bedreigd, zegt hij […]
China Verhagen speaks to Shaoping on human rights in China
Dutch Minister of Economy Verhagen spoke in May 2011 to human rights lawyer Mo Shaoping, who acted as lawyer to inter alia Nobel Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo. It turned out from the conversation that the human rights situation in China has severely deteriorated over the last weeks. ‘It is worrisome that not only people with […]
Russian Federation Killer Markelov sentenced for life
The alleged killer of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov was sentenced for life on Friday 6 May 2011. Nikita Tichonov, an extreme nationalist, committed the murder together with his girlfriend Jevgenia Chassis, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison. A possible motif for the murder is that the extreme nationalists wanted to avenge the […]
China Lawyer Ni Yulan and husband arrested in Beijing
On 7 April 2011, Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin were arrested by the police in Beijing. Ni Yulan worked for 18 years as a lawyer in politically sensitive cases, but concentrated her work in the last years mostly on people protesting the demolition of their homes because of the Olympic Games in 2008. […]
Vietnam Cù Huy Hà Vu convicted to 7 years in prison
Vietnamese lawyer and activist Cù Huy Hà Vũ was convicted to a 7 year prison sentence and an additional 3 year house arrest on 4 April 2011. He was charged with “propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under article 88 of the Criminal Code, an offence he allegedly committed by giving interviews to foreign […]
Iran Mohammed Olyaeifard completes sentence; Seifzadeh arrested
Iranian lawyer Mohammed Olyaeifard was released from prison on 18 April 2011, after completing a one-year sentence. He was arrested and detained on 1 May 2010, after having been convicted because of an interview in which he spoke out against the execution of one of his clients, Behnoud Shojaee. Shojaee was 17 years old when […]
L4L Annual Report on activities of L4L in 2010 available
Here you can find the Annual Report of the activities of L4L in 2010. In 2010 as well, the legal profession was under great strain in many parts of the world. L4L has tried to help lawyers in countries including China, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Syria and Vietnam.
Bahrain Lawyer Mohamed Issa Al Tajer arrested
In Bahrain as well, massive protests have led to arrests on a vast scale. Around 600 people, with many human rights defenders, political leaders, trade unionists and doctors among them, have reportedly been arrested since the beginning of February 2011. It is often unknown where they are being held, let alone that any of them […]
China Tang Jitian and Jiang Tianyong released but under house arrest
In March 2011, L4L came to action for the three Chinese lawyers Tang Jitian, Jiang Tianyong and Teng Biao. They were arrested a few days after they had met on 16 February 2011 to discuss how they could help their colleague Chen Guangchen. The latter had caught the attention of the authorities because he had […]
L4L First L4L-Award for Alec Muchadehama
The first Lawyers for Lawyers Award, established by the Dutch Foundation Lawyers for Lawyers, was presented on 15 April 2011 to Alec Muchadehama, a human rights lawyer from Zimbabwe. For reports and videos of the ceremony, please see here. Alec Muchadehama has worked for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights since 2003 to defend the many […]
