The Philippines: Sereno lawyer belittles 6 SC justices’ testimonies

January 21, 2018

Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s camp slammed anew her critics’ alleged “squeeze play” as an attempt to make her resign as her lawyer belittled the testimonies of six associate justices as having little effect on the impeachment case against her.

Sereno’s Lawyer Jojo Lacanilao said that despite the attempts to put the Chief Justice in a bad light, including her supposed lack of support among her colleagues in the SC, she would “continue to fight for judicial independence.”

“Officials of Congress have already asked her (Sereno) to resign. We feel it’s below the belt. This is just a squeeze play for her to resign,” Lacanilao said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Friday.

“That’s not going to happen. She will be there. We will ask Congress to actually prove any complaint that they have and (we will face them) in the Senate, and we know we have a strong case,” Lacanilao said.

He said the testimonies of at least six incumbent SC justices had no bearing in the impeachment case because these were purely personal opinions and were not grounds to remove Sereno from office.

…

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/962226/breaking-news-maria-lourdes-sereno-impeachment-supreme-court-chief-justice-jojo-lacanilao

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/640459/sereno-won-rsquo-t-give-in-to-lsquo-below-the-belt-rsquo-calls-for-her-to-quit-spox/story/

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/21/sereno-hearing-resumes-wednesday/

http://opinion.inquirer.net/110426/will-not-intimidated

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Lourdes_Sereno

Chechnya/Russia: Lawyer of arrested Memorial head fears provocation by security forces

January 21, 2018

Former military and operative Petr Zaikin previously detected gross violations in the investigation into Titiev. Shortly thereafter, he was put on surveillance.

Lawyer of Head of Memorial human rights center’s office in Grozny Oyub Titiev Petr Zaikin does not rule out that Chechen security officials may stage a provocation to protect the investigative actions in the Titiev case against his participation.

As reported by Novaya Gazeta, this week, Petr Zaikin found out he had been followed.

When leaving for Moscow at the end of last week, on his way to the airport in Makhachkala, Petr Zaikin saw his car was being followed. A silver Ford with ‘deluxe’ license plate М 002 UR 77 was right on the lawyer’s tail. The surveillance was blatant, the newspaper notes. After receiving an SMS from the investigator on the need for his presence during the search in Memorial office, Zaikin turned taxi to Grozny.

According to him, Ford persistently followed him up the city. It was possible to break away from it only at the bus station, for which Zaikin had to jump into another car literally on the move.

…

https://en.crimerussia.com/gromkie-dela/chechnya-lawyer-of-arrested-memorial-head-fears-provocation-by-security-forces/

http://old.memo.ru/s/307.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_(society)

http://www.rfi.fr/europe/20180114-tchetchenie-pressions-contre-responsable-ong-memorial (FRANCAIS)

http://amnesty.md/ro/media/rusia-amnesty-cere-investigarea-urgenta-a-atacului-asupra-biroului-pentru-drepturile-omului-memorial/ (ROMANESC)

India: ‘Prolonged detention of advocate Murugan gross injustice’

January 20, 2018

Activists express concern over delay in hearing his bail petitions

The arrest of advocate A. Murugan under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in January 2017 and his prolonged detention since then have been a travesty of justice, a group of human rights activists belonging to different organisations, who spoke to the media here on Saturday, alleged.

The activists also raised concern over inordinate delay in disposing of the advocate’s bail petitions.

Mr. Murugan, who was appearing for a few persons accused to be Maoists, was arrested by the ‘Q’ Branch wing of Tamil Nadu police in Madurai for allegedly being a conduit for Maoists and assisting them.

R. Murali of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), however, alleged that he was arrested since the ‘Q’ Branch did not want him to appear for the Maoists.

“He was threatened by the police and since he did not listen, he was arrested. This is a gross violation of his freedom to practice as an advocate. This was the first time UAPA has been slapped against an advocate in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/bail-petition/article22482054.ece

Egypt/Day of the Endangered Lawyer: Journée de l’avocat en danger consacrée aux Egyptiens

le 20 janvier, 2018

 

POURQUOI UNE TELLE JOURNÉE ?
Le 24 janvier 2018 se tiendra la journée internationale de l’avocat en danger. Il s’agit de la 8ème édition de cette journée. Depuis 2009, l’Association des Avocats Européens Démocrates organise, en collaboration avec la Fondation de la « Journée de l’Avocat Menacé » et d’autres organisations d’avocats et barreaux, chaque année, la Journée de l’Avocat Menacé en autant de villes, pays et continents que possible.

Cette journée internationale a pour vocation d’attirer l’attention de la société civile et des pouvoirs publics sur la situation des avocats dans un pays particulier, afin de faire connaître les menaces auxquelles sont confrontés les avocats dans le cadre de l’exercice de leur profession. Après la situation des avocats en Iran, en Turquie, aux Philippines, au Pays Basque, au Honduras, et en Chine, la Journée de l’avocat en danger 2018 sera dédiée à la situation des avocats en Egypte.
COMBIEN D’AVOCATS MENACÉS ?
Il n’existe pas aujourd’hui de véritable chiffre officiel du nombre d’avocats gravement en danger dans le monde. Pourtant, chaque jour ou presque, des avocats sont assassinés, menacés, arrêtés, torturés, poursuivis – ou disparaissent tout simplement – pour le simple fait d’accomplir leur travail. Parmi les pays les plus dangereux pour les avocats aujourd’hui on peut compter sur la Chine, l’Iran, le Honduras, les Philippines, la Colombie, le Mexique, le Pakistan, le Mexique. Plus près de nous, nous pouvons également penser à la Turquie où près de 1500 avocats font l’objet de poursuites, et dont 570 sont en détention provisoire.

…

https://www.cnb.avocat.fr/fr/journee-internationale-des-avocats-en-danger

http://dayoftheendangeredlawyer.eu/

https://www.facebook.com/events/161426594613853/