Egypt: Ill treatment of Malek Adly ordered by top state authorities: lawyers

July 25, 2016

The ill treatment of detained lawyer Malek Adly is considered to be part of the “persistent harassment that was ordered against him by sovereign authorities”, according to his wife Asmaa Aly and lawyers.

They have repeatedly demanded that Adly be granted his rights, which should be guaranteed by state prison regulations.

Adly has reportedly been kept at length in solitary confinement and has been deprived of basic rights, such as food, medication, clothing, and regular exercise.

As Adly completes 80 days in solitary confinement, according to his wife Aly, a solidarity campaign under the slogan of “supporting the detainees of the land” kicked off Sunday with a conference at the headquarters of the Egyptian Social Democratic party (ESDP).

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Ill treatment of Malek Adly ordered by top state authorities: lawyers

http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2016/07/26/petizione-liberazione-consulente-regeni-ahmed-abdallah_n_11196818.html (ITALIAN)

Turkey: Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of July 24

July 25, 2016

At least 42 journalists to be detained: State news agency
Police have warrants for the arrest of at least 42 journalists, the official Anatolia News Agency (AA) reported today. Police have already detained five of the journalists on the list today, according to an English-language website.

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Counter-terrorism police released columnist and lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz on probation, the news website Bianet reported today. Police detained the journalist on July 21 at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport as he and his wife attempted to travel from Turkey, he told reporters after his release. Cengiz is prevented from leaving Turkey as part of his probation.

Cengiz said in remarks reported by Bianet that though he wrote for Zamannewspaper and acted as Zaman‘s lawyer, these activities were strictly professional, and police interrogated him only about a few posts he had made to Twitter, not his columns or his work as a lawyer.

A court in March 2016 appointed pro-government trustees for Zaman, finding that the newspaper was linked to the Hizmet movement.

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https://www.cpj.org/blog/2016/07/turkey-crackdown-chronicle-week-of-july-24.php

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-quest-to-punish-coup-plotters-turkey-squeezes-out-room-for-dissent/2016/07/25/6804175e-4dd4-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html

http://www.964eagle.co.uk/news/world-news/2049762/turkey-relatives-worry-amid-torture-claims/

UN Watch Helps Release Turkish Human Rights Lawyer from Prison

http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/177150-orhan-kemal-cengiz-speaks-of-detention-process

http://www.unwatch.org/la-turquie-relache-orhan-kemal-cengiz-qui-demeure-interdit-de-sortie-de-territoire-lonu-se-doit-de-denoncer-le-procede/ (FRANCAIS)

Turkey: IL COLLASSO DELLA DEMOCRAZIA IN TURCHIA E LA PERSECUZIONE (ANCHE) DEGLI AVVOCATI TURCHI

Bologna, 24 luglio 2016

Sergio Palombarini e Barbara Spinelli

PREMESSA Il Consiglio dell’Ordine degli Avvocati di Bologna nell’ultimo anno ha osservato con particolare attenzione e preoccupazione i crescenti attacchi all’avvocatura in Turchia.

Già nel dicembre 2015 con la circolare n. 93/2015, immediatamente diffusa, il Consiglio aveva espresso la propria solidarietà per l’omicidio del Presidente del Consiglio dell’Ordine degli Avvocati di Diyarbakir, Tahir Elçi.

Nel gennaio 2016 aveva rinnovato la propria attenzione al ruolo dell’avvocatura nel contesto della lotta al terrorismo, mediante l’apertura del convegno del 22 gennaio 2016 in cui è intervenuto, tra gli altri, il Presidente del Consiglio dell’Ordine degli Avvocati di Istanbul.

Successivamente, nel maggio 2015, con la circolare n 70/2016, il Consiglio dell’Ordine ha dimostrato la propria solidarietà nei confronti dei colleghi arrestati, decidendo infine di manifestare più concretamente la propria attenzione attraverso l’invio, all’udienza del 22 giugno 2016, del consigliere avv. Sergio Palombarini in veste di osservatore internazionale, in delegazione insieme alla collega Barbara Spinelli del Foro di Bologna, anch’ella osservatrice internazionale per conto dei Giuristi Democratici e della associazione ELDH (European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights).

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Circolare avvocati turchi-1

Turkey: À la maison du barreau, plaidoiries pour les avocats turcs

le 25 juillet, 2016

Un concours de plaidoiries organisé par l’équipe de défense des deux avocats turcs emprisonnés Ayse Acinikli et Ramazan Demir s’est tenu à la maison du barreau de Paris. Le vainqueur rejoint les rangs de l’équipe de défense.

Jeudi dernier, à la maison du Barreau de Paris, douze avocats ont plaidé pour leurs confrères emprisonnés. Ramazan Demir et Ayse Acinikli ont atteint leur 100^e jour de détention le 14 juillet 2016 et leurs défenseurs français, M^es Jacques Bouyssou, Martin Pradel, Rusen Aytac et Jennifer Halter, ont voulu marquer ce symbole en « offrant » à Ayse et Ramazan leur éloquence au nom de leur juste combat et de leur résistance légitime à un pouvoir autoritaire.

Ils étaient précisément neuf avocats. L’un du barreau de Naples, l’un du barreau de New Delhi – qui a ouvert les débats en vidéo – et l’une syrienne, désormais inscrite à Paris. En sus, trois élèves avocats ont pu dire leur première plaidoirie, de surcroît devant une juridiction turque.

C’est M^e Carbon de Sèze qui l’a rappelé en ouverture de son propos : « Il nous a été demandé de plaider comme si nous nous trouvions devant le tribunal correctionnel qui a statué le 22 juin sur la liberté de nos deux confrères ». Il rappelle : 46 avocats d’activistes du PKK arrêtés, puis leurs avocats arrêtés, puis Ramazan et Ayse (V. Dalloz actualité, 22 avr. 2016, art. J. Mucchielli ). L’actualité chaotique du pays a allongé la liste : 11 conseils ont été enfermés dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi, un autre le jeudi matin à l’aéroport d’Istanbul. Et 14 confrères supplémentaires sont visés par un mandat d’arrêt. La persécution continue et elle n’est désormais qu’un pan de la purge d’une singulière envergure entonnée par Recep Tayyip Erdogan, furibond président quasi renversé et qui déchaîne désormais son courroux d’autocrate sur le corps des magistrats – 3 000 mandats d’arrêt délivrés contre ces derniers (V. Dalloz actualité, 19 juill. 2016, art. O. Hielle).

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http://www.dalloz-actualite.fr/flash/maison-du-barreau-plaidoiries-pour-avocats-turcs#.V5YNubiLTIW

MISE A JOUR le 20 août, 2016, de Marty Mc Fly (Facebook) “Demande de remise en liberté des avocats Ayse Acinikli et Ramazan Demir à nouveau rejetée auj @AyseA_RamazanD
Prochaine audience 7 septembre”

China: human rights defenders locked up despite UN rulings, says major defenders’ network

July 21, 2016

In a special update from the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) the failure of the Chinese Government to effectively cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms to release and provide compensation to detained activists is highlighted.  CHRD urge the UN to do more to call for investigation of and accountability for the Chinese Government’s crackdown on civil society.

The UN Special Procedures, independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council, sent 11 pleas or allegation letters to the Chinese Government from June 2015 to March 2016. Four have yet to receive a reply, and a number of the 7 replies received do not substantively address the experts’ questions.

HRDs languish in detention/prison despite UN rulings on ‘arbitrary’ detentions; CHRD appeals for urgent action for imprisoned activist Guo Feixiong

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) declared the detention of activist Yu Shiwen (于世文) ‘arbitrary’ and called on the Chinese Government to release him, in an opinion issued in late April. Over two months later, however, Yu remains detained on suspicion of ‘picking quarrels and provoking troubles,’ a trumped-up charge tied to his role in organizing a memorial for June 4th victims in early 2014. Yu was taken into custody in May 2014 during the crackdown around the 25-year anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, and has now been held for over two years without being brought before a judge.

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https://www.ishr.ch/news/china-human-rights-defenders-locked-despite-un-rulings-says-major-defenders-network

Egypt: Week in solidarity with ‘Land Detainees’ launches with event for rights lawyer Adly

July 24, 2016

A campaign in solidarity with activists arrested for links to April demonstrations protesting a government deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia was launched Sunday.

The week is set to start with an event held by The Egyptian Social Democratic Party in solidarity with detained rights lawyer and party member Malek Adly, arrested for statements he made against the government’s decision.

Adly is one of the lawyers who co-filed the lawsuit against the deal. He has been accused of spreading false news and harming national unity and societal peace.

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/233901/Egypt/Politics-/Week-in-solidarity-with-Land-Detainees-launches-wi.aspx

http://www.articolo21.org/2016/07/il-suo-sorriso-per-chiedere-la-verita/ (ITALIAN)

EGYPT: Blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is detained arbitrarily according to UN Working Group

Paris-Geneva, July 22, 2016 – The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a partnership of FIDH and OMCT) welcomes the recent opinion of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) recognising the arbitrary nature of Alaa Abdel Fattah’s arrest and detention and calling for his immediate release.
On June 29, 2016, the WGAD published its opinion regarding the detention of Alaa Abdel Fattah. The Working Group stated that “the peaceful, non-violent expression (…)

China: Mysterious confession fuels fears of Beijing’s influence on Hong Kong’s top newspaper

July 25, 2016

Hong Kong’s most prestigious English-language newspaper is facing calls to explain how it obtained a controversial interview with a young Chinese activist amid fears of Beijing’s influence on the 113-year-old broadsheet.

The calls, from activists, media experts and former and current journalists at the South China Morning Post, come after the newspaper published a story in which a 24-year-old legal assistant, who had spent nearly a year in secret detention, claimed she regretted her activism.

Zhao Wei was seized in July 2015 at the start of a major government crackdown on human rights lawyers and was released on bail earlier this month, according to Chinese police.

Within days of that reported release the South China Morning Post managed to contact her despite the fact that Zhao’s own lawyer and husband said they had been unable to do so and suspected she was still under some form of custody.

The Guardian understands that the newspaper talked to Zhao Wei with the help of a mysterious intermediary whose identity has not been revealed to staff.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/25/south-china-morning-post-china-influence-hong-kong-newspaper-confession

HONG KONG: HOT SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF ASIA’S BEST NEWSPAPERS