Lawyer Mikhail Benyash indicted
15 december 2018

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 up to five years in prison. On 6 December 2018 the other charge against Benyash concerning ‘obstruction of justice’ has been dropped. This was reported by Frontline Defenders and Amnesty International.

On 9 September, Mikhail Benyash was violently arrested, while attending a protest to provide legal assistance to participants, and sentenced to 14 days of ‘administrative detention’. On the day of his release, he was arrested again and charged with ‘violence against a representative of authority’ and ‘obstruction of justice’. Mikhail Benyash is a defence lawyer working in the Krasnodar region, who has been providing legal assistance to the participants of rallies which were not officially approved and attended a number of protests to monitor and prevent police brutality.

On December 6, 2018, the senior investigator decided to drop the charge against Benaysh concerning ‘the obstruction of justice’. The investigation into the other charge relating to the use of violence against a representative of the authority was however continued and on 12 December Benyash was indicted. Benyash allegedly bit and hit a police officer during his arrest on 9 September 2018. A charge not raised at the time of his earlier conviction in relation to the same incident.

Meer nieuws uit Russian Federation

18 januari 2024

Joint Statement on the continued harassment of Russian lawyer Aleksey Ladin

Russian Federation

Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Observatory for Lawyers, The Law Society of England and Wales, the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & Human Rights, the Union of International Lawyers’ Institute for The Rule of Law, the International Bar Association’s

Lees verder
20 december 2023

Three Defence Lawyers of Opposition Leader Aleksei Navalny have been Arrested and included in the List of Extremists

Russian Federation

Lawyers for Lawyers is deeply concerned about the arbitrary arrest, detention and designation as extremists and terrorists of Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexey Liptser, defence lawyers of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. [1] The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of

Lees verder
15 september 2023

Joint Statement to the HRC on restrictions against HR Lawyers in the Russian Federation

Russian Federation

On 9 August 2023, Lawyers for Lawyers, IBAHRI, and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, submitted a statement to the Human Rights Council 54th Session on the Russian Federation’s systemic restrictions and repressive actions against Human Rights Lawyers. The above-mentioned organisations expressed

Lees verder
26 juli 2023

Concerns about the heinous attack on human rights defender Aleksandr Nemov

Russian Federation

We are deeply concerned with the recent heinous attack on human rights lawyer Aleksandr Nemov, who was attacked alongside journalist Elena Milashina in Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia, on July 4, 2023. This attack is a clear manifestation of the ongoing

Lees verder