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We empower lawyers and associations to fulfil their role in upholding human rights.

Empower

We connect lawyers with their peers in the Netherlands, and further support our colleagues worldwide by sharing knowledge and expertise, including providing training on international law mechanisms. Fact-finding missions enable us to bear witness first-hand to the situations our colleagues are facing, and advocate for change on the basis of our findings.

We empower lawyers and associations of lawyers to fulfil their role in upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We’ll do so by:

Sharing best practices on core values and ethics underpinning the legal profession
Providing interactive training sessions and resource materials on international human rights law and international, including regional, mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
Developing tools, including the Lawyers for Lawyers database of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Facilitating access to and opportunities for exchange between international networks of lawyers, associations of lawyers and other stakeholders.

Lawyers for Lawyers Award

The Lawyers for Lawyers Award is awarded to a lawyer or group of lawyers who work to promote the rule of law and human rights in an exceptional way and are threatened because of their work. The Lawyers for Lawyers Award is presented bi-annually, most recently in November 2021 to lawyers Liudmila Kazak and Maksim Znak from Belarus.

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Training and twinning

Lawyers for Lawyers can provide interactive training sessions and resource materials on international human rights law and international, including regional, mechanisms for the protection of human rights. We furthermore connect lawyers from the Netherlands with colleague lawyers from abroad, in ‘twinning’ projects.

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Toolkit for Lawyers at Risk

Looking for a helpful resource? The Toolkit for Lawyers at Risk is a unique tool aimed at facilitating the efforts of those seeking to protect lawyers at risk – that is, attacked for performing their professional duties and representing their clients’ interests – as well as to support and assist the targeted legal profession in their struggle. The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) developed the Toolkit in cooperation with Lawyers for Lawyers and other human rights organisations.

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Oral Statement at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference

On 4 October 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers delivered an oral statement on the situation of lawyers across the OSCE region. The statement was delivered during the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference. The statement reads as follows: Lawyers play a vital

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24 September 2024

Ongoing trial of Hejaaz Hizbullah

Sri-Lanka

On 23 September, Lawyers for Lawyers sent a public letter to the recently appointed Attorney General in Sri Lanka, expressing concerns about the ongoing trial against lawyer and human rights defender Hejaaz Hizbullah, a minority rights advocate and legal counsel

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20 September 2024

Joint oral statement to Human Rights Council on Venezuela

Venezuela

On 20 September 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, and the Law Society of England and Wales, delivered an oral statement during the interactive dialogue with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic

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16 September 2024

Joint CCPR submission to UN Human Rights Committee on Türkiye 

Türkiye

On 16 September 2024, Lawyers for Lawyers, the Law Society of England and Wales (LSEW), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), submitted a second report on Türkiye’s implementation of the International

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10 September 2024

Joint oral statement to Human Rights Council on Sudan

Sudan

On 10 September 2024 the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada delivered an oral statement during the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner on the situation of lawyers in Sudan. The dialogue took place during

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4 September 2024

Vacancy Programme Officer

Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) supports lawyers worldwide who are being threatened and harassed in connection to their professional activities. Our work seeks to protect lawyers from threats, risks and reprisals, strengthen their international recognition and protection through laws, policies and

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Joint letter to the Iranian authorities on the summons for the reimprisonment of Mohammad Seifzadeh

Iran

Lawyers for Lawyers has recently sent a joint letter to the Iranian authorities on the summons for the reimprisonment of Mohammad Seifzadeh. The undersigned organisaqtions are gravely concerned about a summons being issued by the Iranian judiciary for the reimprisonment

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Human Rights Lawyer Arnon Nampa Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison Under Controversial Lese-Majeste Law

Thailand

On 25 July 2024, Arnon Nampa was sentenced to 4 years detention under Thailand’s controversial lese-majeste law by the Criminal Court. This case is linked to two posts on Facebook about the Thai monarchy that he published in early 2021.

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