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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
L4L Acceptance speech Alec Muchadehama on receiving the first Lawyers for Lawyers Award
Highlights from Alec Muchadehama’s acceptance speech I would like to say that I am so pleased to be here today. During the programmes I have experienced great moments, moments which I am sure will live in my mind forever. On the 15th of January 2011, I received an email from the President of Lawyers for […]
L4L Report of the L4L-Award Jury
Here you can find the report of the L4L-Award Jury, which was presented to Alec Muchadehama on 15 April 2011 (see it here in PDF). This year for the first time, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary Lawyers for Lawyers is awarding a prize to a lawyer, or a group of lawyers, working to […]
7 years since disappearance Somchai Neelapaijit
Seven years after Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaijipit went missing, there is still no prospect of justice. Somchai disappeared on 12 March 2004, one day after he had publicly accused the police of torturing his clients, who were in detention. Since then, nothing has been heard of him. Despite pressure from his family and […]
Reports discussed before UN Human Rights Council
On 23 March 2011, the UN Human Rights Council gathered to discuss the annual report on the human rights situation in Colombia. L4L was there to present a LRWC statement on behalf of Lawyers Rights Watch Canada and the International Commission of Jurists. On the HRC’s website, you can find the different reports on Colombia, […]
Pavel Sapelka and four others disbarred
On 3 March 2011, Belarusian lawyer Pavel Sapelka was disbarred by the Minsk City Bar. In February 2011, the Bar had already taken the same measure against his colleagues Aleg Ageev, Tatiana Ageeva, Vladzimir Toutsik and Tamara Garaeva. It has been suggested that the Ministry of Justice had urged the Minsk City Bar several times […]
80 year old Haitham al-Maleh released
On 8 March 2011, 80 year old Syrian lawyer Haitham al-Maleh was released from prison after 1.5 year. He was detained since October 2009 and was convicted to a three year sentence on 7 July 2010 for allegedly ‘spreading false information that was damaging for the morale of the nation’, ‘weakening national sentiments’ and ‘slandering […]
Once more observers to Syria on behalf of L4L
On Tuesday 1 February 2011, Judith Lichtenberg and Gerrit Nieuwenhuis returned from Syria. They were to observe a disciplinary hearing against Radeef Moustafa and Abdel-Rahman Najjar in Aleppo on behalf of L4L and the Amsterdam and Dutch Bar Associations. Moustafa risks being disbarred for life because he – without permission from the bar association – […]
Warning BHC for reporting to UN Special Rapporteur
Two lawyers connected to the Minsk City Lawyers’ Association have been put under pressure by the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. They defend protesters who have been arrested after a demonstration on 19 December 2010. Pavel Sapelka received a letter warning him that he could be disbarred for having spoken publicly about his concerns with respect […]
Pressure on lawyers increases again
Lawyers Farshid Yadollahi and Amir Eslami were convicted to a six months prison sentence on Kish Island in southern Iran on 22 January. Around the same time, Mostafa Daneshjou was sentenced in appeal to seven months in prison in the northern province of Mazandaran. These lawyers represented dervishes, Sufi Muslims who choose to live in […]