News

NOMINATE NOW FOR THE L4L AWARD 2019!

The closing date for submission of nominations is 1 March 2019, 11:59 PM CET. Lawyers for Lawyers wishes you all the best for 2019! This will be a special year for Lawyers for Lawyers, with the first lustrum edition of the Lawyers for

Submission to Human Rights Committee

Vietnam

In March 2019, the UN Human Rights Committee will review Viet Nam’s compliance with its international human rights obligations, and more in particular the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by Viet Nam. Lawyers for Lawyers submitted a joint submission with

Wang Quanzhang sentenced to 4,5 years in prison

China

On 28 January 2019, the Tianjin Municipal No.2 Intermediate People’s Court found prominent human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang guilty of “subversion of state power” and sentenced him to 4 years and 6 months in prison and 5-year deprivation of political

L4L joins call for UN action on China

China

In an open letter sent to heads of government missions to the United Nations in Geneva, Lawyers for Lawyers joined 39 other NGOs to press for a UN resolution to address the deteriorating human rights situation in China. The NGOs

Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2019

Turkey

In honor of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer on 24 January 2019, Lawyers for Lawyers organized three seminars focusing on the extremely difficult situation of lawyers in Turkey. In this way we expressed our support for ‘endangered’ colleagues in Turkey.

Day of the Endangered Lawyer Turkey: Joint statement

Turkey

Lawyers for Lawyers has joined ten other Bar Associations, Law Societies and Legal Organisations in a joint declaration concerning the breakdown of the rule of law and serious threats against the independence of Judges, Lawyers, and Prosecutors in Turkey. The declaration

Imminent disbarment of Emil Kurbedinov

On 10 January 2019, human rights lawyer Emil Kurbedinov received a letter from the Crimean Directorate of the Ministry of Justice informing him he will be disbarred based on his two previous convictions for administrative offences. This was reported by Frontline

Arrest of lawyer Mohamed Ramadan

Egypt

Lawyers for Lawyers is concerned about the arrest and detention of human rights lawyer Mohamed Ramadan from Egypt. On 2 January 2019, we called upon the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Mohamed Ramadan and drop all the charges against him.

Trial against Wang Quanzhang

China

The trial against human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang started on 26 December 2018, the day after Christmas day. At the end of the day, the official website of the No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court of Tianjin posted a short announcement

Lawyer Mikhail Benyash indicted

Russian Federation

On 12 december 2018, lawyer Mikhail Benyash has been indicted. He is being charged with the ‘the use of violence against a representative of the authority not dangerous to health’ under article 318(1) of the Russian Criminal Code and faces

Trial against lawyer Can Tombul

Turkey

On 12 December, Lawyers for Lawyers, Fair Trial Watch, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, the European Democratic Lawyers and the Human Rights Committee of the Norwegian Bar Association called on the authorities of Turkey to immediately release lawyer Can Tombul.  Can

Joint petition letter – Wang Quanzhang

China

In a petition letter addressed to the Chinese authorities on the day of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and at the initiative of the Human Rights Commission of the Geneva Bar Association, 20 lawyer’s associations