Lawyers for Lawyers expresses deep concerns regarding the threats and harassment faced by Palestinian lawyer Mr. Muhannad Karajah, due to his work defending lawyers and human rights defenders in Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Mr. Muhannad Karajah co-founded Lawyers for Justice, an independent Palestinian group of lawyers based in Ramallah, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), which provides free legal aid to Palestinian human rights defenders and political prisoners and works to uphold fair trial rights for all.
Since 2016, Mr. Karajah has reportedly been subjected to numerous threats, abuse, smear campaigns, a travel ban and detention by both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. Similar concerns regarding the arbitrary targeting of Mr. Karajah have been raised by other organizations, including the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).
Most recently, Mr. Karajah has reportedly been targeted by two campaigns of incitement to violence, respectively initiated by Palestinian and Israeli individuals through Telegram groups due to his efforts to protect lawyers in the OPT and advocate for fair trial rights for human rights defenders. In response to these threats, Mr. Karajah has been forced to remain home for his own safety, as well as that of his family and organization.
In light of growing attacks on human rights defenders and lawyers in the OPT, restrictions on access to detainees and fair, swift trials have worsened (for more information on these procedures see our statement on the case of lawyer Diala Ayesh and interview with lawyer Tala Naser), and continued attacks against Mr. Karajah have had a growingly detrimental impact on Lawyers for Justice’s ability to continue representing these clients and ensuring their right to a fair trial and to legal representation.
Lawyers for Lawyers further wishes to draw attention to the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Basic Principles),1 in particular 16 and 23, which read:
16. Governments shall ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference (…) and (c) shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.
23. Lawyers like other citizens are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. In particular, they shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights and to join or form local, national or international organizations and attend their meetings, without suffering professional restrictions by reason of their lawful action or their membership in a lawful organization. In exercising these rights, lawyers shall always conduct themselves in accordance with the law and the recognized standards and ethics of the legal profession.
Lawyers for Lawyers will continue to follow the situation of Mr. Karajah closely.
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