Tag Archives: CCBE

South Sudan: Disappearances of South Sudanese Critics Demand a Response

Sem categoria 23/01/2019 Leave a comment

January 23, 2019

201901africa_southsudan_idri_dongluak

(Aggrey Ezbon Idri (L) and Dong Samuel Luak. © Private/Human Rights Watch)

Two years ago, South Sudanese lawyer Dong Samuel Luak disappeared off the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. I recently sat with Kur Lual, Dong’s law partner, in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. Holding his head in his hands, he asked me, “How does someone like Dong disappear just like that?” It’s a question many others inside and outside of South Sudan are still asking themselves.

Dong fled South Sudan in August 2013, but continued to denounce human rights abuses and corruption there from his new home in Nairobi. Just one day after his disappearance on January 23, 2017, a South Sudanese government critic and political opposition member, Aggrey Ezbon Idri, also went missing in Nairobi.

The Kenyan government denied having both Dong and Aggrey in custody despite reports from their families that they were being held by the police and awaiting deportation. Meanwhile, other reports indicate that by January 25, the two were already being held by South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS), forces known to commit abuses including unlawful detentions and torture. A Kenyan court ordered the police to investigate the disappearance of the two, but questions about how they disappeared, who was responsible for their abduction, and how they got into South Sudan remain unanswered.

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/01/23/disappearances-south-sudanese-critics-demand-response?fbclid=IwAR3XaELVj7Y48JOYx69BL-09ed6pydD5rFzWQKBmkV6X1YUHOe6EAzU0kCA

http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ID/21756/Default.aspx

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article66958

https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/disappearances-south-sudanese-critics-demand-response

https://www.whispereye.com/2019/01/23/makerere-university-might-need-us-all-nkunyingi-muwada/

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Tajikistan: ‘Even by leaving us she gave us a lesson’: Fearless rights defender’s death shocks Tajikistan

Sem categoria 08/01/2019 Leave a comment

January 7, 2019

Fayzinisso Vohidova, a prominent Tajik lawyer who was renowned for her preparedness to defend political arrestees and constant criticism of Tajikistan’s authoritarian system, passed away on January 4.

On Facebook, where open criticism of authorities in the Central Asian country is growing rarer and rarer, the outpouring of grief told its own story.

A mother of three, Vohidova was often referred to by her admirers as a “Gurdofarid”, referencing the fearless ancient Persian heroine from the Shahnameh epic Persian poem.

She lost a short battle to pneumonia only a week after celebrating her 55th birthday.

In recent years, Vohidova suffered regular harassment at the hands of Tajik authorities, verbal attacks from regime supporters and a curtailment of her professional activities.

Although she avoided arrest, Vohidova had her license to practise law suspended andcould not leave the country at the time of her death.

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https://globalvoices.org/2019/01/07/even-by-leaving-us-she-gave-us-a-lesson-fearless-rights-defenders-death-shocks-tajikistan/

https://www.rferl.org/a/faiziniso-vohidova-tajik-lawyer-who-defended-dissidents-for-decades-dies-at-55/29691242.html?fbclid=IwAR1YtdbURiKj1eXIB8Dyzp_Yi8SwAna6HHSA0cn1Sc4I-pGegxQyvm5UxPE

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/16/tajikistan-travel-ban-rights-lawyer

https://www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/HUMAN_RIGHTS_LETTERS/Tajikistan_-_Tadjikistan/2017/EN_HRL_20170809_Tajikistan_Concerns-regarding-the-travel-ban-against-lawyer-Fayzinisso-Vohidova.pdf

https://rus.ozodi.org/a/29695917.html (RUSSIAN)

CCBE/European Convention on the Profession of Lawyer: Milestone document anniversary marked

Sem categoria 11/12/2018 Leave a comment

December 11, 2018

The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been marked this week as a milestone document in the history of human rights.

Drafted by representatives with varied legal and cultural backgrounds, the declaration sets out a common framework for all signatories concerning human rights after the atrocities experienced during the Second World War.

 

The year 1948 was the first time in history that countries came together to protect fundamental human rights.
Inherent dignity

According to its preamble, the declaration recognises the “inherent dignity” and the “equal and inalienable rights” of humankind, stressing that “human rights should be protected by the rule of law”.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) said this week that adequate protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights – whether economic, social and cultural, or civil and political – requires that everyone has effective access to legal services provided by independent lawyers.The CCBE is working in support of threatened lawyers worldwide, and makes an annual human rights award each year.

Violations

The CCBE also regularly writes to national authorities when lawyers are victims of human-rights violations. This year, the CCBE has already sent more than 50 letters to 31 countries where lawyers have gone missing, have been assaulted, harassed or even murdered.

The CCBE also supports the work currently carried out by the Council of Europe on a proposed European convention on the profession of lawyer and welcomed the recommendation adopted in January by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), inviting the committee of ministers to draft such a convention.

Binding instrument

The CCBE considers that such a binding instrument is needed in order to respond to attacks against the role of lawyers, which have grown over recent years.

Such a convention would strengthen the rule of law and, thereby, the protection of the profession of lawyer, whose mission is fundamental in the administration of justice and the safeguarding of fundamental rights.

 

https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/Top-Stories/milestone-document-anniversary-marked/

http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-EN.asp?fileid=24466&lang=en

https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/Top-Stories/ccbe-concern-over-rule-of-law-backsliders/

https://www.ccbe.eu/

https://www.lemondedudroit.fr/institutions/61135-prix-droits-homme-2018-ccbe-miko%C5%82aj-pietrzak.html (FRANCAIS)

India: Elgaar Parishad case: Pune police files chargesheet against 10 accused

Sem categoria 16/11/2018 Leave a comment

November 15, 2018

Those chargesheeted include activist Rona Wilson, Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, former ‘Prime Minister Rural Development’ fellow Mahesh Raut and Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers.

Pune city police Thursday filed a chargesheet against five activists arrested in June this year for their alleged Maoist links in the ongoing investigation of Elgaar Parishad case.

Among those named in the 5,000-page chargesheet include activist Rona Wilson, Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, former ‘Prime Minister Rural Development’ fellow Mahesh Raut and Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers. Also, five alleged underground Maoists who are absconding — Milind Teltumbde, Prakash alias Ritupam Goswami, Prashant Bose alias Kishan da, Manglu and Deepu — were named in the chargesheet.

Investigating officer ACP Shivaji Pawar filed the 5000-page chargesheet in the court of Additional Sessions Judge KD Vadane.

The FIR in the case, lodged by Pune resident Tushar Damgude on January 8, had initially named Harshali Potdar and Dhawale of Republican Panthers, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Deepak Dhengle of the Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch. The FIR claimed that the accused, as per the strategy of the CPI-Maoist, “mislead the Dalits and spread thoughts of violence” in their minds.

On June 6, police had arrested Wilson, Gadling, Sen, Raut and Dhawale in connection with the case. Cops alleged these suspects played a role in providing funds of banned CPI-Maoists to Elgaar Parishad. All were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On August 28, in the second round of arrests, police conducted raids at the houses of and arrested five prominent activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Vara Vara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Gautam Navlakha, alleging them to be active CPI-Maoist members

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Elgaar Parishad case: Pune police files chargesheet against 10 accused

https://www.latestly.com/india/news/bhima-koregaon-case-pune-police-files-chargesheet-against-surendra-gadling-sudhir-dhawale-and-three-other-activists-489609.html

https://scroll.in/latest/902278/bhima-koregaon-case-pune-police-file-chargesheet-against-five-accused-who-were-arrested-in-june

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/court-to-hear-bail-pleas-of-3-activists-on-saturday/articleshow/66626597.cms

Posted by Free ALL Bhima Koregaon arrestees on Thursday, November 15, 2018

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

https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/infog-charge-shit-against-surendra-gadling-shoma-sen-mahesh-raut-sudhir-dhavale-rona-wilson-5982223.html (HINDI)

https://www.amarujala.com/india-news/bhima-koregaon-violence-case-pune-police-files-chargesheet-against-the-five-accused (HINDI)

#UrbanNaxals

#SurendraGadling

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Bangladesh: Bangladesh arrests prominent government critic

Sem categoria 24/10/2018 Leave a comment

October 22, 2018

The BNP says police have arrested at least 4,000 of its activists on trumped-up charges since September

Bangladesh police on Monday arrested a prominent critic of the government who recently helped the country’s embattled opposition parties forge an alliance amid fears that dissent is being stifled in the South Asian nation.

Police said Moinul Hosein, a top lawyer and a publisher of an English daily, was detained from Dhaka’s Uttara neighbourhood hours after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed him for his comments against a pro-government female journalist.

“He has been arrested after a warrant of arrest was issued against him”, a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Hosein, 78, who does not belong to any political party, emerged as a top critic of the government in recent months and was a key organiser of the recently formed alliance between the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other centrist parties.

Premier Hasina on Monday attacked Hosein for his comments against the woman journalist whom he described as “characterless”, accusing him of collaborating with Pakistan during Bangladesh’s war of independence against the Islamic republic, the state-run BSS news agency reported.

She asked female journalists to protest Hosein’s remark and urge them to file cases against him.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6304369/Bangladesh-arrests-prominent-government-critic.html

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2018/10/22/barrister-mainul-arrested

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/384373-bangladesh-arrests-prominent-government-critic-moinul-hosein

https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/bangladesh-jatri-kalyan-samity-secretary-mozammel-hoque-chowdhury-gets-bail-1632400

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2018/09/13/court-dismisses-explosives-case-against-mozammel-hoque-chowdhury

http://m.thedailynewnation.com/news/193496/scba-demands-immediate-release-of-barrister-mainul

http://m.thedailynewnation.com/news/194086/barrister-mainul-gets-divn-1-in-jail

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

Cuba/CCBE: Situation of lawyers in the Republic of Cuba

Sem categoria 04/10/2018 Leave a comment

October 1, 2018

Image result for ccbe

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I am writing to you on behalf of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), which represents the Bars and Law Societies of 45 countries, and through them more than 1 million European lawyers. The CCBE places great emphasis on respect for human rights and the Rule of Law, and is particularly concerned with the situation of human rights defenders around the world.
The CCBE would like to express its concern regarding the situation of lawyers in Cuba.
According to the information received by the CCBE, the criminal justice system is being used to harass lawyers and human rights defenders who have been critical of the Cuban authorities. The use of broad provisions in the Penal Code such as “dangerousness”, are regularly used to threaten or charge people who are perceived to be a threat to the State.
The CCBE understands that lawyers can only work in the public system and that it is difficult for independent human rights lawyers to work legitimately as it is problematic for them to obtain licenses for legal self-employment.

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https://www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/HUMAN_RIGHTS_LETTERS/Cuba_-_Cuba/2018/EN_HRL_20181001_Cuba_Situation-of-lawyers-in-the-Republic-of-Cuba.pdf

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

http://www.onbc.cu/ (ESPANOL)

https://centrocubalex.com/ (ESPANOL)

https://www.cubanet.org/noticias/abogado-julio-ferrer-recibe-respuesta-minrex/ (ESPANOL)

CCBE/European Lawyers Day 2018: Why Lawyers Matter: Defending the defenders of the Rule of Law

Sem categoria 26/09/2018 Leave a comment

September 26, 2018

https://www.lawsoc-ni.org/europeans-lawyers-day