Israel/Palestine: Imprisoned Palestinian-Swedish Lawyer Continues Hunger Strike For Fifth Day

April 29, 2016

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported, Friday, that a Palestinian Lawyer, who also holds a Swedish citizenship, declared hunger strike after Israeli soldiers kidnapped him five days ago.

The PPS said that the Lawyer, Majdi Safwat Yassin, 33, was kidnapped five days ago while crossing the al-Karama Border Terminal, on his way to Jordan.

| Israeli Military Courts Issue New Administrative Detention Orders Against 27 Detainees|

Following his abduction, Yassin declared a hunger strike to protest his illegal imprisonment, without charges.

It is worth mentioning that the detained lawyer also holds a Swedish citizenship. Yassin is from ‘Aneen village, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

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Imprisoned Palestinian-Swedish Lawyer Continues Hunger Strike For Fifth Day

Egypt: Egypt’s Lawyers Syndicate to represent protesters detained during Tiran and Sanafir demos

April 29, 2016

(Sameh Ashour, head of Egypt’s lawyers syndicate (Photo: Lawyers’ Syndicate website))

The Egyptian lawyers syndicate announced in a statement on Friday that it will set up defence committees to track those arrested during recent protests and to defend the accused during prosecution proceedings.

Dozens of people were arrested in the capital Cairo and other governorates over the past two weeks during demonstrations against a recent Egyptian-Saudi islands deal.

Among the detained are activists, lawyers and journalists.

The syndicate said the defence committees will include members as well as volunteer lawyers to track all detainees, not only lawyers, and provide legal assistance throughout “all phases of investigations.”

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/204733.aspx

China: Déclaration publique – Le Barreau du Haut-Canada très préoccupé par le harcèlement de l’avocat des droits de la personne Zhang Kai en Chine

le 29 avril, 2016

Le Barreau du Haut-Canada très préoccupé par le harcèlement de l’avocat des droits de la personne Zhang Kai en Chine.

Zhang Kai est un avocat réputé de Pékin en droits de la personne. Le 25 août 2015, il a été arrêté à Wenzhou, dans la province duZhejiang, alors qu’il fournissait des conseils juridiques à une communauté ayant reçu l’ordre d’enlever la croix de leur église. L’arrestation a eu lieu quelques heures avant la rencontre que Zhang Kai devait avoir avec un représentant du département d’État américain afin de discuter de la liberté de religion en Chine.

Suite à son arrestation, Zhang Kai a été placé en résidence surveillée dans un lieu tenu secret, selon une mesure de mise en détention pour une durée allant jusqu’à six mois. Plus personne n’a eu de nouvelle de Zhang Kai jusqu’au 25 février 2016, date où il est apparu à la télévision nationale lors d’une confession préenregistrée. Sur la vidéo, Zhang Kai exprimait ses remords et admettait qu’il avait conspiré avec des groupes étrangers afin de provoquer des agitations de nature religieuse en Chine. Il déclarait aussi avoir reçu une rémunération de la part de l’organisme China Aid afin de défendre des églises et d’autres organisations chrétiennes.

Suite à cette émission, Zhang Kai a été accusé de « mise en péril de secrets d’État » et d’avoir « rassemblé une foule afin de troubler l’ordre public » ; par la suite, Zhang Kai a été transféré de sa résidence surveillée et placé en détention criminelle. Ses parents ont été informés de ce transfert le 28 février 2016.

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http://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/declaration-publique—le-barreau-du-haut-canada-tres-preoccupe-par-le-harcelement-de-lavocat-des-droits-de-la-personne-zhang-kai-en-chine-577569231.html

Indonesia: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika in Indonesia

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika in Indonesia.

The Law Society has received reports that on 30 October 2015, Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika attended a peaceful protest rally at the Presidential Palace in order to monitor police violence against protestors. The lawyers were arrested along with 24 activists and subsequently charged under Article 216 of the Indonesian Criminal Code for ‘disobeying police orders’; however, reports indicate that the lawyers and the protestors were already dispersing the area when police started to beat them and put them in custody.

In their joint submission of 4 April 2016, Lawyers for Lawyers and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada noted that the charges appear to relate solely to Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika’s “legitimate actions as lawyers and human rights defenders.”

The Law Society presently writes to voice its deep concerns that charges laid against Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika appear to relate solely to their legitimate actions as lawyers and human rights defenders.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502428

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502428 (VERSION FRANCAISE)

CCBEIndonesia9.6.16

Thailand: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of human rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri in Thailand

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of human rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri in Thailand.

Sirikan Charoensiri is a lawyer with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). On 26 June 2015, 14 student activists of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) were arrested and charged with violating a prohibition on gatherings of more than five people (Article 116 of the Thai Criminal Code). Sirikan Charoensiri represented the activists at their hearing along with seven other lawyers from the TLHR.

After the activists’ hearing on 27 June 2015, police attempted to conduct a warrantless search of Sirikan Charoensiri’s car. Sirikan Charoensiri refused to consent to the search and attempted to file a complaint alleging police malfeasance. The police refused to accept her complaint and summarily impounded her car. When Sirikan Charoensiri attempted to file another complaint, she was told by a senior officer that the police would take “some form of legal action” against her unless she abandoned her right to complain. The police subsequently obtained a warrant to search her car from the Court; however, reports indicate that they did not advise the presiding judge that the car in question belonged to counsel for the accused. The police then searched Sirikan Charoensiri’s car and seized three of the activists’ mobile phones as evidence. Later that evening, the police finally accepted Sirikan Charoensiri’s complaint against Pol.Lt. Gen. Chayapol Chatchayadetch for the unlawful search and seizure of her car.

The Law Society presently writes to voice its deep concern as a result of reports that Sirikan Charoensiri has been the subject of judicial harassment.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502429

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502430 (VERSION FRANCAISE)

Malaysia: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of four lawyers in Malaysia

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of lawyers Karen Cheah Yee Lynn, Charles Hector, Francis Pereira, and Shanmugam Ramasamy in Malaysia.

On 31 March 2016, lawyer and Secretary of the Malaysian Bar Association, Karen Cheah Yee Lynn, and lawyers Charles Hector, Francis Pereira, and Shanmugam Ramasamy were arrested and placed under investigation for sedition pursuant to section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948. Reports indicate that the criminal investigation is a political response to a motion tabled by the lawyers at the Malaysian Bar’s General Assembly on 19 March 2016. The motion, which was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Malaysian Bar, called for the resignation of Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali following his controversial decision to end the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation into the Prime Minister’s financial affairs.

The Law Society presently writes to voice its deep concern as a result of reports that Malaysia continues to use the Sedition Act 1948 in order to silence the Prime Minister’s critics and interfere with the independence of the legal profession.

The Law Society of Upper Canada wrote to His Excellency Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, urging the government of Malaysia to comply with Articles 16 and 23 of the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502430

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502430 (VERSION FRANCAISE)

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Ukraine: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the murder of human rights lawyer Yuri Grabovski in Ukraine

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the murder of human rights lawyer Yuri Grabovski in Ukraine.

Yuri Grabovski was a Ukrainian human rights lawyer defending Aleksandr A. Aleksandrov, an alleged Russian intelligence officer. Yuri Grabovski disappeared on 6 March 2016 while returning to Kiev from a business meeting in Odessa. On 20 March 2016, Anatoly V. Matios, Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine, informed the media that a suspect in Yuri Grabovski’s disappearance had been apprehended.

Yuri Grabovski’s body was found on 25 March 2016 south of Kiev. Shortly thereafter, Anatoly Matios confirmed that the victim “was killed in a violent way and finished off with a firearm.” Since then, another suspect has been detained by the police.

Yuri Grabovski’s murder is the second killing of a lawyer in Ukraine this month and the fourth since January 2015.

The Law Society of Upper Canada wrote to His Excellency President Petro Poroshenko, urging the government of Ukraine to comply with Articles 16 and 23 of the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502432

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502432 (VERSION FRANCAISE)

 

China: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of human rights lawyer Zhang Kai in China

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the harassment of human rights lawyer Zhang Kai in China.

Zhang Kai is a prominent Beijing human rights lawyer. On 25 August 2015, Zhang Kai was arrested in Wenzhou, Zheijiang Province, while advising a congregation faced with orders to remove the cross from their church. The arrest occurred just hours before Zhang Kai was due to meet an American State Department official to discuss religious freedom in China.

After his arrest, Zhang Kai was placed under residential surveillance in an undisclosed location with an order to detain him for up to six months. Zhang Kai was not heard from again until 25 February 2016 when he appeared on state television in a taped confession. In the video, Zhang Kai expressed his remorse and admitted to conspiring with foreign groups in order to stir up religious unrest in China. He also claimed to have received payment from China Aid to defend churches and other Christian organizations.

After the broadcast, Zhang Kai was charged with “endangering state secrets” and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order”; thereafter, Zhang Kai was transferred from residential surveillance to criminal detention. His parents were informed of the transfer on 28 February 2016.

On 23 March 2016, Zhang Kai posted on WeChat and Weibo saying that he had been “safely returned to his hometown in Inner Mongolia.” His comments on social media do not provide reasons for his sudden release.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502431

Turkey: The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the persecution of nine human rights lawyers in Turkey

April 29, 2016

The Law Society of Upper Canada expresses grave concerns about the persecution of nine human rights lawyers in Turkey.

Reports indicate that on 16 March 2016, police raided the houses of nine lawyers in Istanbul, Turkey. The following lawyers were taken into police custody: Ramazan Demir, İrfan Arasan, Ayşe Acinikli, Hüseyin Boğatekin, Şefik Çelik, Adem Çalışçı, Ayşe Başar (Gosterislioglu), Tamer Doğan and Mustafa Rüzgar.

All nine lawyers are members of the Libertarian Lawyers Association (Özgürlükcü Hukukçular Derneĝi – ÖHD). All of the lawyers represented one or more of 46 lawyers arrested in 2011 while defending the leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (“PKP”) on suspicion of “working for, or belonging to, a terrorist organization.”

On 18 March 2016, Ramazan Demir, İrfan Arasan, Ayşe Acinikli, Hüseyin Boğatekin, Şefik Çelik, Adem Çalışçı, Ayşe Başar (Gosterislioglu), Tamer Doğan and Mustafa Rüzgar attended a pre-trial release hearing at the 1^st Criminal Peace Court. Irfan Arasan and Mustafa Rüzgar were unconditionally released. After a 13-hour pre-trial release hearing the following day, the Court ordered the pre-trial release of the remaining seven lawyers subject to a travel ban.

On 21 March 2016, the prosecutor appealed the pre-trial release order to the 1^st Criminal Peace Court and was unsuccessful. On the same day and without notice to the defendants or their legal counsel, the prosecutor appealed to the 2^nd Criminal Court of Peace. The 2^nd Criminal Court of Peace summarily reversed the 1^st Criminal Peace Court’s pre-trail release order with respect to four of the lawyers: Hüseyin Boğatekin, Ramazan Demir, Ayşe Acınıklı and Ayşe Basar (Gosterislioglu). On 22 March 2016, warrants were issued for their arrest. Two of the lawyers were re-arrested immediately but were released two days later. On 6 April 2016, lawyers Ramazan Demir and Ayşe Acinikli were re-arrested.

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http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502433

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/cnw/release.html?rkey=20160429C1789&filter=5611

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/newsarchives.aspx?id=2147485737&cid=2147502433 (VERSION FRANCAISE)

Syria: Call for release of ‘Douma Four’ on birthday of Razan Zaitouneh

April 29, 2016

To mark the birthday of missing human rights lawyer Razan Zaitouneh, today a large amount of organizations, including L4L,called for her immediate release, as well as that of her colleagues Samira Khalil, Nazem Hamadi and Wa’el Hamada. The four, also known as the ‘Douma Four’, were abducted on 9 December 2013 in Douma. Since then, no one has heard of them.

Razan Zeitouneh is a lawyer who mostly represented political prisoners, and won several awards for her human rights work. She is, even though she had to go into hiding due to threats in 2011, one of the few internationally known human rights lawyers who have remained in Syria since the uprising in March 2011.

Razan Zeitouneh is co-founder of the Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC) and the Violations Documentation Center (VDC), which documents all human rights violations in Syria. Furthermore, she is co-founder of the ‘local development and small projects support office’ (LDSPS), which provices basic needs and essential services and support to medical and development centres in Syria.

http://www.advocatenvooradvocaten.nl/11572/syria-call-for-release-of-duma-four-on-birthday-of-razan-zaitouneh/

Syria: Joint Appeal to Help Free Syrian Human Rights Defender Razan Zaitouneh and Her Colleagues on Her Birthday | Letter

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/syria-joint-appeal-help-free-syrian-human-rights-defender-razan-zaitouneh-and-her

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-dooley/today-is-razan-zaitounehs_b_9803264.html