Sudan/UK: Exiled rights lawyer Abdelrhman Al Gasim receives death threat

April 3, 2019

 

On October 23, 2018 exiled Sudanese rights lawyer Abdelrhman Mohammed Al Gasim received the following message by Twitter:

He reported this incident to many friends and human rights organizations such as Human Rigths Watch, Amnesty International and Defend Defenders. The Defend Defenders IT officer informed him that the account user’s profile was based in the UK, and he has more than 6,000 followers.  Al Gasim did not take any action with respect to Twitter managers so the originator of the threat could still be traced, because if he did they were going to block him and he wanted to track him until he could be arrested. He felt seriously threatened and unsafe because they know his location. He received many calls via WhatsApp after this message but he did not respond to them and sought the assistance of the American Bar Association.

Al Gasim is the 2018 American Bar Association (ABA) Human Rights Award recipient and an Honorary Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.  He escaped from Sudan in March 2012 after being detained for 13 months at the NISS detention centre, and was facing more than 13 crimes against the state charges for his human rights activities, most of them punishable by death.   The IBAHRI issued the following statement about his case on November 3, 2010: https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=a5c657cf-759a-4412-8bd5-95fe714be29f.  He is the Protection and External Relations Secretary of the Darfur Bar Association.  A friend of his in the UK was requested to make a formal complaint to the Metropolitan Police.  

https://allafrica.com/stories/201807020237.html

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/06/sudanese_lawyer_abde/

http://legalnews.com/detroit/1461020

https://lawyersforlawyers.org/en/lawyers/abdelrahman-gasim/

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/laywer-abdulrahman-gasim-released

http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/index.html

https://arabi21.com/story/1149373/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF (ARABIC)

https://www.trouw.nl/democratie/het-verzet-in-soedan-verloopt-via-whatsapp~ad47945e/ (NEDERLANDS)

Abdelrahman Al Gasim, a Sudanese lawyer who is about to receive the 2018 American Bar Association Award for his courageous and effective work, will discuss his strategies for increasing access to justice for victims of human rights violations in #Sudan: pic.twitter.com/mlE5CzAreo

— Eric Reeves (@sudanreeves) July 24, 2018

Please join us to celebrate a hero of #Darfur: Abdelrahman Al Gasim. He has been jailed and tortured because of his #HumanRights work but he nonetheless still fights to protect the rights of Darfuris. We are pleased to celebrate his work this Friday in our @DWAG6 office! pic.twitter.com/pJXHObVZli

— DarfurWomenAction (@DWAG6) August 14, 2018

Turkey: Nurcan Baysal acquitted

April 2, 2019

On 21 February 2019, the 7th Criminal Court of First Instance of Diyarbakır acquitted Nurcan Baysal of “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” charge. The acquittal decision is final.

Nurcan Baysal was facing up to three years in prison on a charge of “inciting people to hatred and enmity” for her anti-war tweets about Turkey’s military offensive in Afrin, Syria, based on the Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code. During the last hearing on 14 February 2019, Nurcan Baysal’s lawyer submitted to the Court another verdict of acquittal previously issued by the 4th High Criminal Court on the same issue. The trial was subsequently adjourned until 18 April 2019 because the judge was on leave. However at the request of Nurcan Baysal’s lawyer, the Court rescheduled the hearing for 21 February 2019. The 7th Criminal Court of First Instance of Diyarbakır issued a verdict of acquittal for Nurcan Baysal during this hearing.

…

Nurcan Baysal is a Kurdish human rights defender and journalist from Diyarbakır, in the Kurdish region of Turkey. In 2018, she won the Front Line Defenders Award for the Human Rights Defenders at Risk. She was found guilty of demeaning the Turkish security forces in an article that she wrote in 2016, criticising the Turkish military operation in the Kurdish town of Cizre. Sentenced to a 10 month jail term, she was released on the condition that she would not repeat the offence within five years.

…

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/nurcan-baysal%E2%80%99s-next-hearing-scheduled

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

Turkish Government Targets Family Members of the Critical Lawyers

https://www.yeniakit.com.tr/haber/pkk-gazetecisinden-cenevrede-turkiyeye-insanlik-disi-suclamalar-681249.html (TURKCE)

https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/International/Nurcan-Baysal-En-Turquie-depuis-la-tentative-de-coup-d-Etat-tout-a-empire-1592355 (FRANCAIS)

Nous interpellons l’ambassade de Turquie (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Paris Büyükelçiliği) sur la protection des avocats et des droits de la défense.
Le CNB et le Barreau de Paris / Ordre des avocats de Paris enverront prochainement une délégation sur place pour analyser la situation et rencontrer tous les acteurs de la justice et les avocats.

(CNB Conseil National des Barreaux Facebook, 03/04/19)

France: Avignon : l’avocate des gilets jaunes convoquée au commissariat pour outrage à un policier

le 2 avril, 2019

Le 9 février dernier, Me Albert-Salmeron avait posté une vidéo filmée dans ses toilette et adressée à un officier de police.

En quelques mois elle est devenue la robe noire des gilets jaunes.

…

https://www.laprovence.com/article/edition-vaucluse/5439315/lavocate-des-gilets-jaunes-convoquee-au-commissariat-pour-outrage-a-un-policier.html

https://blogs.mediapart.fr/elie-carasso/blog/030419/lair-de-la-calomnie-dans-la-provence-pour-maitre-albert-salmeron

Une avocate, Me Sophia ALBERT-SALMERON, à la rescousse de Gilets jaunes : « Elle a rappelé le droit aux gendarmes » https://t.co/ZoMjhEyD8M via @LeParisien_Eco

— Francesca (@francesca759293) January 3, 2019

Iran/France: L’avocate iranienne Nasrin Sotoudeh promue citoyenne d’honneur par Paris

le 2 avril, 2019

Le Conseil de Paris a attribué ce lundi 1er avril la citoyenneté d’honneur à l’avocate et militante des droits des femmes Nasrin Sotoudeh, condamnée par la justice iranienne à 38 ans de prison et 148 coups de fouets.

Le Conseil de Paris a décidé ce lundi 1er avril de remettre le titre de citoyenne d’honneur de la ville à l’avocate irannienne Nasrin Sotoudeh. Incarcérée depuis le 13 juin 2018 dans une cellule de la prison d’Evin, au nord de Téhéran en Iran, cette défenseure des droits des femmes a été condamnée par un tribunal islamique à 38 ans de prison et 148 coups de fouets.

À lire aussi » En Iran, l’avocate Nasrin Sotoudeh poursuit sa grève de la faim

Une femme au “courage sans faille”

« Espionnage», «incitation à la débauche», «conspiration», «propagande contre le système»… Tels sont les principaux chefs d’accusation à l’encontre de Nasrin Sotoudeh. Comment cette femme de 55 ans est-elle devenue l’ennemi public numéro un de Téhéran ? L’année dernière, cette militante féministe s’est fait notamment remarquer pour avoir défendu le mouvement de la rue Enghelab, des jeunes femmes qui avaient enlevé leur hijab en public.

…

http://madame.lefigaro.fr/societe/lavocate-iranienne-nasrin-sotoudeh-promue-citoyenne-dhonneur-par-020419-164535

https://marieclaire.be/fr/marie-claire-liberation-nasrin-sotoudeh/

https://e-metropolitain.fr/2019/04/02/barreau-de-montpellier-lavocate-iranienne-nasrin-sotoudeh-membre-dhonneur/

https://www.parisvox.info/2019/04/02/paris-nasrin-sotoudeh-citoyenne-dhonneur/

https://france.mojahedin.org/i/paris-dcerne-citoyennet-dhonneur-clbre-avocate-nasrin-sotoudeh

https://www.cnb.avocat.fr/fr/avocats-mobilisation-pour-la-liberation-de-nasrin-sotoudeh-iran?fbclid=IwAR1bBa3vtADjbNAB1w4MbD9t0FZU1oheMJ6vQH2hf45onivb47dkVSLa4zQ

https://offres.ovh/pourquoi-paris-a-fait-de-lavocate-iranienne-nasrin-sotoudeh-sa-citoyenne-dhonneur/

https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/2487063-20190403-pourquoi-paris-fait-avocate-iranienne-nasrin-sotoudeh-citoyenne-honneur

https://iranintl.com/en/world/paris-city-council-grants-honorary-citizenship-paris-nasrin-sotoudeh (ENGLISH)

https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/04/02/flash-mob-in-support-of-sotoudeh-in-hong-kong-concert/ (ENGLISH)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasrin_Sotoudeh (ENGLISH)

https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-mas-700000-firmas-para-anular-sentencia-abogada-irani-condenada-prision-y-latigazos-201904021618_noticia.html (ESPANOL)

https://www.agenziacomunica.net/lonu-laguzzino-e-nasrin-sotoudeh/ (ITALIANO)

http://ildubbio.news/ildubbio/2019/04/03/mille-avvocati-a-roma-per-difendere-i-diritti/ (ITALIANO)

https://marieclaire.be/nl/marie-claire-belgie-ijvert-mee-voor-vrijlating-nasrin-sotoudeh/ (VLAAMS)

https://www.amnesty.cz/news/4485/aktualne-k-pripadu-nasrin-podekovani-manzela-a-nase-vyzva-posilejte-dopisy?fbclid=IwAR0wyle6c1FM2w72FucXCVy0QdXlFSqdow_DgS9xiR2l4tfLpt2sYHtEb0E (CZECH)

https://gulf365.co/world-news/2266412/%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%81.html (ARABIC)

#FreeNasrin

#نسرین_ستوده

#NasrinSotoudeh

In March 2019, Iranian lawyer and human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh was sentenced to 33 years in prison and 148 lashes. @LSHumanRights, @CCBEinfo, and other Bars have called for her release. We invite you to sign a petition launched by @CNBarreaux https://t.co/lYupiBHX2q pic.twitter.com/Q6DR227KYK

— The Law Society Int. (@LSInternational) April 3, 2019

Libérez l’avocate iranienne Nasrin Sotoudeh #FreeNasrin – Signez la pétition ! https://t.co/V2gYhp0zUS via @ChangeFrance

— Gwendoline (@LebouilG) April 2, 2019

Iran: Free human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh https://t.co/wyleriIBLv

— 🔥❄️#GEnotPV🌹#JC4PMnow#SaveOurNHS#GetTheToriesOut (@FlamedSnowflake) April 2, 2019

#NasrinSotoudeh #FreeNasrin #Appello
"Cari attivisti e sostenitori di @Amnesty,
Vi siamo grati perché grazie alla vostra immediata reazione Nasrin e la sua atroce condanna sono diventati oggetto di preoccupazione internazionale."

Reza Khandanm,… https://t.co/ThHu9nNqJf

— Amnesty_I_Gr243 (PA) (@Amnesty_Gr243) April 2, 2019

Cameroon: Cameroon opposition leader wants to be tried in public

April 2, 2019

Cameroon’s opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who faces several charges including hostility against the homeland and offence against the president of the republic, has asked to be tried in open court.

Mr Kamto was in court on Tuesday to ask for bail but when the judge insisted that the hearing take place in his chambers, he walked out.

The opposition leader’s lawyer, Christopher Ndong, told the BBC that his client is a public figure and the public had a right to witness his judgement.

“Kamto and his entire legal team rejected the in-camera hearing for two reasons. First, the judge’s chambers is too little to accommodate all the lawyers. Secondly, there is no law stipulating that case be heard in private,” he said.

The opposition leader says he won last year’s presidential election. His party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, plans to carry out public demonstrations on 13 April to call for the release of their leader.

http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/515919/cameroon-opposition-leader-wants-to-be-tried-in-public/

https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/cameroon-maurice-kamto-rejects-to-appear-before-judge/

https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/cameroon-protests-to-call-for-kamtos-release-scheduled-for-april-13/

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

https://www.bbc.com/afrique/region-47795754 (FRANCAIS)

https://fr.africanews.com/2019/04/02/cameroun-l-opposant-maurice-kamto-s-oppose-a-une-audience-a-huis-clos/ (FRANCAIS)

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Kamto (FRANCAIS)