OIAD: The International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger (OIAD): a review of its first few months in activity

November 28, 2016

Faced with the worrying situation of lawyers around the world and concerns that the right to defence is not respected, it was self-evident that the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger needed to be created. It forms part of lawyers’ response to attacks they are subject to the world over. It embodies the solidarity of lawyers from around the world and speaks on behalf of all individuals committed to the rule of law and the principles of a fair trial.

The Observatory for Lawyers in Danger is an initiative of the French National Bar Council, the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (Spain) and the Consiglio Nazionale Forenze (Italy). Launched in 2015, the purposes of the OIAD are to defend lawyers who come under threat because they practice their profession and to denounce situations which are detrimental to the right to defence.

The OIAD has been operational for a few months now, and carried out its first actions in the summer of 2016, which was marked by unprecedented repressions against the profession, especially in China and Turkey. The OAID has issued 16 releases concerning 11 countries. For the most part, these releases were accompanied by letters sent to the authorities of the countries concerned and to French diplomatic authorities, as well as to UN and European Special Rapporteurs. Four international monitoring operations were carried out at the audience of lawyers being prosecuted in Turkey. A joint declaration was signed at the Congress of the Pan African Lawyers Union in Nairobi.

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http://cnb.avocat.fr/The-International-Observatory-for-Lawyers-in-Danger-OIAD-a-review-of-its-first-few-months-in-activity_a2854.html

http://cnb.avocat.fr/L-Observatoire-international-des-avocats-en-danger-OIAD-%C2%A0-bilan-de-ses-premiers-mois-d-activite_a2830.html (FRANCAIS)

http://cnb.avocat.fr/El-Observatorio-internacional-de-abogados-en-peligro-OIAD-por-sus-siglas-en-frances-balance-de-los-primeros-meses-de_a2841.html (ESPANOL)

Thailand: SIRIKAN CHAROENSIRI

Pays d’origine : Thaïlande

Profession : Avocate

Causes défendues : spécialisée dans les droits de l’Homme, Sirikan Charoensiri travaille pour Thai Lawyers for Human Rights -TLHR (avocats thaïs pour les droits humains).

Sirikan Charoensiri fait l’objet depuis plus d’un an de menaces et d’acharnement judiciaire de la part de la police et des autorités thaïlandaises, pour avoir défendu quatorze étudiants militants d’un mouvement démocrate, le New Democracy Movement (NDM).

Ces derniers, arrêtés le 26 juin 2015 pour sédition, avaient manifesté pacifiquement pour marquer le premier anniversaire du coup d’État militaire de mai 2014.

Le 2 février 2016, Sirikan Charoensiri a été convoquée par la police pour s’être opposée à la fouille, sans mandat,  de sa voiture, à la suite de l’arrestation des quatorze étudiants, et à la saisie des  téléphones portables de certains de ces étudiants qui se trouvaient à l’intérieur.

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SIRIKAN CHAROENSIRI

Initiative de l’Observatoire international des avocats en danger pour la Journée mondiale des droits de l’Homme

Bahrain: Human Rights Lawyer Charged

December 1, 2016

Bahraini authorities have charged a prominent human rights lawyer with offenses that violate his right to free expression.

Mohamed al-Tajer, who has defended opposition figures and rights activists, told Human Rights Watch that a public prosecutor brought three charges against him on November 10, 2016: insulting government institutions, inciting hatred of a religious sect, and misusing a telecommunications appliance. In a private WhatsApp voice message that public prosecutors cited in support of the charges, al-Tajer says, “It’s clear that there’s a team in the public prosecution and Cybercrimes division whose only job is to sit at computers and intercept every word about Sunnis, Saudi Arabia, hatred of the regime, or insults against the king.”

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/01/bahrain-human-rights-lawyer-charged

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2016/12/bahrain-authorities-put-human-rights-lawyer-on-trial.php

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-rights-idUSKBN13Q4KK

https://www.hrw.org/ar/news/2016/12/01/297082 (ARABIC)

http://www.idhae.org/observatoire-fr-page4.1.bahr111016.htm (FRANCAIS)

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/11/10/492962/Bahrain-Al-Khalifa-regime-bar-human-rights-activist-Fatima-alHalwaji-travel-ban

Brazil: Procuradores da Lava Jato dizem que renunciarão se medida for sancionada

30/11/16

Procuradores da Operação Lava Jato afirmaram nesta quarta-feira (30) que podem renunciar coletivamente caso a proposta de abuso de autoridade entre em vigor.

A medida foi inserida no texto das dez medidas contra a corrupção pela Câmara na madrugada desta quarta (30).

“A nossa proposta é renunciar coletivamente [à Lava Jato] caso essa proposta seja sancionada pelo presidente”, afirmou Carlos Fernando dos Santos Lima, procurador da República e um dos coordenadores da força-tarefa, durante entrevista coletiva.

A ideia dos procuradores é abandonar a força-tarefa da Lava Jato e voltar às suas atividades habituais. Nesse caso, caberia à PGR (Procuradoria-Geral da República), que instaurou a força-tarefa, designar outros procuradores para a função ou decidir se encerraria a equipe.

“Muito mais valerá a pena fazer um parecer previdenciário do que se arriscar a investigar poderosos”, disse Lima.
Os procuradores ainda acusaram “grandes líderes partidários e líderes do governo” de Michel Temer (PMDB) de articular a votação da madrugada.

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http://m.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2016/11/1837096-procuradores-da-lava-jato-dizem-que-renunciarao-se-medida-for-aprovada.shtml

(Lava Jato (“car wash”, the anti-corruption campaign in Brazil) prosecutors threaten to quit if new “anti-corruption laws” pass allowing prosecutors to be sued by politicians. Brazil sinks lower as institutionalized corruption gain more power.)

http://www.lematin.ch/monde/procureurs-menacent-demissionner/story/23335082 (FRANCAIS)

Israel: Take Action! – End Harassment Of Palestinian Human Rights Defender

November 29, 2016

Israeli authorities have their final chance to take forward the prosecution of Palestinian human rights defender Anas Barghouti at a hearing on 6 December. Arrested and bailed three years ago, he has had to attend a court hearing every three months since then, only for the case to be postponed each time. He is facing a maximum of 18 months in prison.

Anas Barghouti, 33, is a lawyer and human rights defender who was arrested by the Israeli authorities on 15 September 2013. Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience at the time because his arrest was based solely on his peaceful work as a human rights defender, representing Palestinians detained by Palestinian security forces. The Israeli military prosecution charged him with “membership of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine” (PFLP), an organization which Israel has banned, and “leadership of a committee to organize demonstrations”. He denies both these charges. On 23 October 2013, a military judge ordered him released on bail because there was not sufficient evidence against him to consider him a security threat.

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http://satprnews.com/2016/11/29/take-action-end-harassment-of-palestinian-human-rights-defender-israelopt-ua-27613/