Tag Archives: Front Line Defenders

Lebanese rights lawyer Mohammad Sablouh faces threats and intimidation

Sem categoria 16/04/2024 Leave a comment

16/04/24

Front Line Defenders expresses deep concerns regarding the safety and security of Lebanese lawyer Mohammad Sablouh. Mohammad Sablouh has faced threats and intimidation due to his outspoken advocacy against the unlawful deportation of Syrian refugees, shedding light on violations of Lebanese law and international conventions by the General Security Forces and the Lebanese Army.

Mohammad Sablouh is a Lebanese lawyer and human rights defender. He is the Head of the Legal Support Program at Cedar Centre for Legal Studie, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the culture of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Lebanon. Mohammad Sablouh assists victims of torture and arbitrary detention at both the domestic and international level. He has also been actively providing legal support, documenting testimonies and information regarding human rights violations committed against Syrians refugees in Lebanon. Since 2021, as a consequence of his human rights work, Mohammad Sablouh has been facing harassment, threats, and intimidation.

On 7 February 2024, there was an attempted break-in to Mohammad Sablouh’s car parked near his residence in Qubba, North Lebanon, resulting in the disabling of the central lock, though no items were stolen. Additionally, on 21 February 2024, there was another attempt to forcibly enter his vehicle, causing damage to the back door lock. Mohammad Sablouh has also been informally notified about a ‘serious’ file allegedly being prepared against him, following previous accusations by former General Security personnel of ties with Zionism. Moreover, he has received numerous calls and messages from unknown numbers, prompting him to block them for his safety. On 8 April 2023, Mohammad Sablouh submitted a legal complaint requesting from the Lebanese authorities to investigate the source of these numbers.

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/lebanese-human-rights-defender-mohammad-sablouh-faces-threats-and-intimidation

https://www.cfjustice.org/lebanon-un-requests-investigation-into-threats-against-lawyer-and-human-rights-defender-for-his-support-for-syrian-refugees

https://syriadirect.org/1100-syrian-refugees-arrested-600-deported-from-lebanon-in-unprecedented-crackdown

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/ar/statement-report/lebanese-human-rights-defender-mohammad-sablouh-faces-threats-and-intimidation (ARABIC)

https://latribune.avocats.be/fr/mohammed-sablouh (FRANCAIS)

https://www.tl7.fr/fil-info-loire/soutien-aux-avocats-du-barreau-de-beyrouth_9035.html

China: Immediately release rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and activist Xu Yan

Sem categoria 12/04/2024 Leave a comment

12/04/24

13 April marks the first anniversary of the detention of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, activist Xu Yan.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are deeply concerned about this case and call for the immediate and unconditional release of Yu Wensheng and his wife, activist Xu Yan, as they have been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights including the right to freedom of expression. The couple, both well-known activists in China, were taken into police custody while en route to the delegation of the European Union to China in Beijing on 13 April 2023, where they were invited to attend a meeting with the EU’s Ambassador to China. They were detained in Beijing Shijingshan Detention Centre from that date until January 2024, after which they were transferred to Suzhou Detention Centre in Jiangsu province, some 1000km away.

Yu and Xu were arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, an overly broad crime which is weaponized to target, intimidate and harass human rights defenders, activists, journalists and dissidents. In October 2023, Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan were indicted on those charges, as well as an additional and more serious charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” UN experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the authorities’ use of both crimes to target human rights defenders. There is no date set for their trial.

Xu Yan has reportedly lost 14kg since being detained and the conditions of her detention in Beijing may amount to torture and other ill-treatment. She has been subjected to verbal abuse, including being intimidated by police who threatened to arrest her son if he undertakes advocacy on her and Yu’s case. Their son, who turned 18 just before their detention, has faced a serious deterioration of his mental health over the last year, and currently suffers from depression. Xu and Yu‘s transfer to Suzhou has exacerbated his isolation and the risk of further mental health impacts.

Ahead of the first anniversary of their arrest, we call on the Chinese government to uphold its international human rights obligations. We urge the Chinese government to:

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/china-immediately-release-human-rights-lawyer-yu-wensheng-and-activist-xu-yan

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/human-rights-defenders-yu-wensheng-and-xu-yan-detained-without-trial-one-year

https://www.amnesty.org/fr/documents/asa17/7861/2024/en

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/press-office/press-releases/lawyers-must-be-protected-as-the-un-reviews-chinas-human-rights-record

https://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-schiff-releases-statement-on-first-anniversary-of-ding-jiaxis-wrongful-imprisonment-in-china

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/china-statement-spokesperson-one-year-detention-yu-wensheng-and-xu-yan_en

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

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/legal-center-02202024093204.html

A Beautiful China – Seven – Returning to China From a Year at Yale

https://www.change.org/p/honour-cao-shunli-s-legacy-by-displaying-her-bust-in-the-city-of-geneva

https://amnistie.ca/participer/2024/chine/un-couple-de-militantes-detenu-depuis-presque-un (FRANCAIS)

https://www.rfi.fr/fr/asie-pacifique/20240413-chine-un-an-l-arrestation-de-yu-wensheng-et-xu-yan-video-soutien-ue

https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/participer/ecrire-des-lettres/actions-urgentes/annees/2024/ua-019-18-chine

Crimea/Ukraine/Russia: Emil Kurbedinov, lawyer to Crimean Tatars, arrested in Simferopol today

Sem categoria 15/02/2024 Leave a comment

15/02/24

https://hromadske.radio/en/news/2024/02/15/lawyer-emil-kurbedinov-has-been-detained-by-russian-occupiers-in-occupied-crimea

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3827681-zelenskys-representative-office-in-crimea-demands-to-stop-persecution-of-lawyer-kurbedinov-in-crimea.html

https://khpg.org/en/1608813397

https://crimea-platform.org/en/news/occupants-illegally-detained-lawyer-emil-kurbedinov-in-crimea

https://ktat.krymr.com/a/advokat-kurbedinov/32821413.html (TATAR)

Адвокат Курбедінов назвав своє незаконне затримання у Сімферополі черговою спробою тиску
(UKRAINIAN)

https://ru.krymr.com/a/news-zaderzhali-advokata-emilya-kurbedinova-/32820676.html (RUSSIAN)

https://crimean-solidarity.org/news/2024/02/15/na-advokata-emilya-kurbedinova-sostavili-protokol-za-post-o-nezakonnom-prizyve-studentov-s-otsrochkoj-2864

https://www.qha.com.tr/kirim/isgalciler-kirim-tatar-avukat-emil-kurbedinov-u-alikoydu-485394 (TURKCE)

https://www.qha.com.tr/ukrayna/abd-temsilciler-meclisi-baskanindan-ukrayna-ya-yardima-engel-485370

https://www.qha.com.tr/kirim/isgalciler-kirim-tatar-avukat-emil-kurbedinov-hakkinda-dava-acti-485406

https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/ukrinform/cesky/zprava.php?id=1183779 (CZECH)

Emil Kurbedinov

(ENGLISH)

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/human-rights-defender-and-lawyer-emil-kurbedinov-targeted-social-media-post

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/emil-kurbedinov

https://khpg.org/en/1608812934

https://rm.coe.int/report-on-crimean-tatars-by-dunja-mijatovic-commissioner-for-human-rig/1680aaeb4b

https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/04/05/this-is-a-brutal-state-we-have-seen-this-over-the-past-nine-years-en

initiative2018-2.15.2.24Download (ENGLISH)
initiative2018.15.2.24Download (RUSSIAN)

Russia: Disciplinary proceedings launched against human rights lawyer Aleksey Ladin

Sem categoria 13/01/2024 Leave a comment

02/01/24

On 26 December 2023, the Council of the Tyumen Regional Bar Association scheduled a disciplinary hearing against human rights defender and lawyer Aleksey Ladin which is due to take place on 24 January 2024.

Earlier, on 4 December 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in the Tyumen Region (MOJ) submitted a motion to the Tyumen Regional Bar Association, requesting to launch a disciplinary proceeding against Aleksey Ladin in relation to events on 13 October 2023 when the human rights lawyer was detained in Russian-occupied Crimea and sentenced to 14 days of administrative detention for allegedly displaying prohibited symbols on his social media pages.

Aleksey Ladin is a Russian human rights defender and lawyer. Since 2015 he has been working to provide legal aid to Ukrainians who have been persecuted by Russia on politically motivated charges. He has worked both as a representative of human rights organisation Agora, then, following this, in an independent capacity. In 2017 he moved from the city of Tyumen to Russian-occupied Crimea to be closer to his clients who, at that point, mostly consisted of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar political prisoners in Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians who were abducted and charged with criminal offences by the Russian authorities.

On 26 December 2023, Aleksey Ladin received a letter, informing him that on 22 December 2023 the Qualification Comission of the Tyumen Regional Bar Association had launched disciplinary proceedings against him, based on a motion by the Ministry of Justice. On 4 December 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in the Tyumen Region submitted a motion to the Tyumen Regional Bar Association, requesting to launch a disciplinary proceeding against Aleksey Ladin. The motion stated that on 3 November 2023, the Ministry Of Justice received information from the Centre to Counteract Extremism in Crimea, that Aleksey Ladin was charged for allegedly displaying prohibited symbols on his social media pages, an offence under Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences. The Ministry of Justice’s motion stated that the actions of the human rights lawyer had violated the Code of Ethics of the Russian Bar Association, which is based on the Federal Law “On the Bar Association and it’s activities in Russian Federation.”

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/disciplinary-proceedings-launched-against-human-rights-defender-and-lawyer-aleksey-ladin

https://ctrcenter.org/en/aleksey-ladin-continues-to-practice-law
https://ctrcenter.org/en/aleksey-ladin-was-released

https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/10/26/then-they-came-for-the-lawyers-en

Aleksey Ladin

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/ru/case/human-rights-lawyer-aleksey-ladin-arrested-posting-national-emblem-ukraine-and-crimean-tatars (RUSSIAN)

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/fr/case/human-rights-lawyer-aleksey-ladin-arrested-posting-national-emblem-ukraine-and-crimean-tatars (FRANCAIS)

Aleksey Ladin

https://latribune.avocats.be/fr/aleksey-ladinhttps://patrick-henry.avocats.be/?q=node/699

https://patrick-henry.avocats.be/?q=node/699

Aleksey Ladin
(ESPANOL)

Angola: Rights Lawyer Zola Ferreira Zambi unlawfully placed under “house arrest”

Sem categoria 12/01/2024 Leave a comment

11/01/24

On 5 January 2024, agents of the national police attached to the Municipal Command of Luanda’s third Division, unlawfully placed human rights lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi under house arrest, followed by his detention at the local police station.

Zola Ferreira Bambi is a well-known human rights lawyer based in Luanda, Angola. He works on issues involving human rights defenders as well as communities whose rights have been violated. He is also the president of Angola’s Observatory of Social Cohesion and Justice. Zola Bambi has been documenting abuse and legal harassment against human rights defenders in Luanda since the early 2000s. He has additionally provided legal counsel and defended human rights activists who are under judicial harassment for out their legitimate human rights work.

On 5 January 2024, agents of the national police attached to the Municipal Command of Luanda’s third Division unlawfully placed human rights lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi under “house arrest.” Seven police officers in plain clothes chained his door with a padlock and retained him inside his house for four hours starting from six in the morning. They raided his residence without a court order. He was then brought to the police station where he was detained for another three hours without any charges or justification.

On that morning, the human rights lawyer was preparing to represent Laurinda Gouveia along with her husband, an activist who had been detained during a demonstration. The demonstration aimed to protest against the conviction of four human rights defenders: Adolfo Campos along with Gildon Da Silva Moreira, also known as Tanaice Neutro, Hermenegildo Andre known as Gildo das Ruas and Abraão Pedro Santos, who advocate for good governance, transparency.

Later on the 5 January 2024 the lawyer and human rights defender Zola Ferreira Bambi was freed only after the activist Laurinda’s trial started, preventing him to act as her legal representative. 

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/angola-human-rights-lawyer-zola-ferreira-zambi-unlawfully-placed-under-house-arrest

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/pt/case/angola-human-rights-lawyer-zola-ferreira-zambi-unlawfully-placed-under-house-arrest (PORTUGUES)

https://www.voaportugues.com/a/advogado-angolano-acusa-tribunal-de-impedir-apelo-a-senten%C3%A7as-de-ativistas-/7288870.html

Friends of Angola exige do PR abertura de inquérito para apurar o rapto de um casal de activistas e o filho menor e a detenção abusiva de um advogado
Systematic violations of the rights to freedom of assembly and expression in Angola
(FRANCAIS)

Widespread mistreatment of lawyers in Turkey

Sem categoria 11/11/2023 Leave a comment

10/11/23

This week, a delegation of 27 bar associations, human rights organisations and legal groups representing eight countries gathered in Turkey for a fact-finding mission on the Turkish government’s treatment of criminal law and human rights lawyers.*

A joint statement by the delegation said:

“As the mission draws to a close, we are distressed that lawyers in Turkey continue to face ongoing harassment, arbitrary detention, unfair trials, torture and ill-treatment.

“Lawyers in Turkey are arrested, detained and imprisoned simply due to their legal work – including clients they represent and professional bodies to which they belong.

“Many of the lawyers we visited in prison are members of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and the People’s Law Office (HHB). They have practised in criminal and human rights law for many years and prove that the Turkish government is systemically targeting lawyers who defend the fundamental human rights of the people of Turkey.

“Furthermore, when these lawyers find themselves detained, they are denied the right to a fair trial. Many have been held since 2017/2018, following unfair trials and ineffective legal assistance.

[…]

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/press-office/press-releases/widespread-mistreatment-of-lawyers-in-turkey

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/eight-countries-bars-condemn-lawyer-harassment-in-turkey/5117863.article

https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/11/10/lawyers-in-turkey-face-harassment-mistreatment-over-their-work-intl-delegation-says/
International Coalition Raises Concerns Over Treatment of Lawyers in Turkey

https://trnews0.blogspot.com/2023/11/international-coalition-raises-concerns.html

Bilgi Topçu, Ceren Yılmaz and Fatih Gökçe

https://www.voanews.com/a/constitutional-crisis-roils-turkey-s-legal-system-parliament/7350693.html

https://www.wral.com/story/clash-between-constitutional-and-appeals-courts-raises-concerns-over-rule-of-law-in-turkey/21140529/

https://www.duvarenglish.com/lawyers-march-to-turkeys-top-appeals-court-amid-judicial-crisis-news-63300

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/fr/profile/can-atalay

https://www.islandernews.com/news/national/turkish-lawyer-can-atalay-has-been-elected-to-parliament-but-remains-in-jail/image_74daadbb-8ed4-56db-a107-cf867ddbe15a.html

Can Atalay

https://www.mlsaturkey.com/en/constitutional-crisis-can-atalay-controversy-in-the-judiciary

Turkey ranks 117th among 142 countries in global rule of law index
Bilgi Topçu, Ceren Yılmaz et Fatih Gökçe
(FRANCAIS)

https://amnistie.ca/sinformer/2023/turkiye/turquie-la-decision-de-justice-en-faveur-de-la-liberation-de-can-atalay

Bilgi Topçu, Ceren Yılmaz y Fatih Gökçe
(ESPANOL)
Bilgi Topçu, Ceren Yılmaz e Fatih Gökçe
(ITALIANO)
Bilgi Topçu, Ceren Yılmaz und Fatih Gökçe
(DEUTSCH)

Iran: Nasrin Sotoudeh’s request for bail rejected following national security charges

Sem categoria 10/11/2023 Leave a comment

09/11/23

On 7 November 2023 woman human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh’s request for bail was rejected by the prosecutor at Branch 29 of Tehran Revolutionary Court. The woman human rights defender, who was detained after attending the funeral of Armita Geravand, was arrested together with 23 other women, including journalists and civil society actors, most of whom have been granted bail.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a prominent human rights lawyer, who has dedicated her legal career to representing opposition activists, women’s rights activists, young prisoners who were sentenced to death for crimes committed when they were minors, and women who peacefully protested against the country’s obligatory veiling rules.

On 7 November 2023, the request of Nasrin Sotoudeh to be released on bail was rejected by the prosecutor at Branch 29 of Tehran Revolutionary Court. The woman human rights defender was arrested on 29 October 2023 together with 23 other women, including journalists and civil society actors, in Tehran. During her arrest, the woman human rights defender was beaten by police, who used taser batons on the lawyer. Her prescription glasses were broken and she was held in a police van for seven hours, banned from entering the prosecutor’s office on the pretext of not having worn a head scarf. She was issued with two arbitrary charges of “disturbing the public order” and “disobeying police order.” The woman human rights defender was subsequently transferred to Qrachak prison where she has been held since.

While the initial charges brought against the woman human rights defender in the police van comprised of “disturbing the public order” and “disobeying police order,” on account of her attendance at the funeral of Armita Geravand, her lawyer has since announced that two other charges of “gathering and colluding against the national security” and “propaganda activities against state” have also been arbitrarily levelled against the woman human rights defender by Branch 29 of Tehran Revolutionary Court, amounting to an utter violation of due process.

Additionally, on 5 November 2023, while in detention in Qarchak prison, the woman human rights defender received a summons from Branch 1097 of Ershad Judicial Complex, the criminal department II, to present herself on 4 December 2023. Although it is still not clear what the charges brought against her by this criminal court are, there is speculation that this might pertain to her disobedience in refusing to wear her obligatory hijab during the funeral of Armita Geravand.

While serving her ten-year prison sentence, the woman human rights defender was granted a number of medical furloughs in 2021. The latest of these commenced on 21 July 2021 and was subsequently renewed two further times, causing her sentence to be suspended from November 2021 for however long this medical condition may persist.

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/nasrin-sotoudeh%E2%80%99s-request-bail-rejected-following-charges-national-security

https://iranwire.com/en/women/122271-women-arrested-at-iranian-teens-funeral-face-hasty-trial/

https://www.ibanet.org/IBAHRI-bar-associations-and-international-lawyers-organisations-call-for-protection-of-lawyers-in-Iran

https://rightlivelihood.org/advocacy-updates/iran-nasrin-sotoudeh-violently-arrested-at-armita-geravands-funeral/

IRAN: Joint statement by the OIAD and other International Lawyers’ Organisations and Bar Associations calling for the protection of lawyers in Iran

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/filing-a-new-court-case-for-nasrin-sotoudeh/32673244.html (FARSI)

https://www.gazette-du-palais.fr/actualites-professionnelles/nouvelle-arrestation-de-nasrin-sodouteh-les-avocats-francais-reclament-sa-liberation/ (FRANCAIS)

IRAN : Communiqué conjoint de l’OIAD et d’autres organisations internationales d’avocats et de Barreaux appelant à la protection des avocats en Iran

https://www.lanazione.it/siena/cronaca/nasrin-sotoudeh-fiocchi-rossi-per-gli-avvocati-0f5fd340 (ITALIANO)

Anche la Camera penale di Siena e Montepulciano si mobilita per Nasrin Sotoudeh

https://www.ordineavvocatibologna.net/documents/19808/1813728/diritti+umani+comunicato/b96ec6d7-cc3f-400a-8f21-533ea00e5623

https://www.lastampa.it/aosta/2023/11/07/news/aosta_gli_avvocati_manifestano_in_favore_della_collega_iraniana_nasrin_soutodeh-13843640/

Un nastro rosso per Nasrin Sotoudeh, sit-in degli avvocati a Siena

https://www.ansa.it/valledaosta/notizie/2023/11/07/aosta-sit-in-avvocati-contro-arresto-collega-iraniana_881b19df-6c67-4b58-8bdc-37b3e5e876a2.html

La Camera penale di Cosenza si mobilita per il rilascio di Nasrin Sotoudeh
Gli avvocati valdostani in sostegno della collega iraniana Sotoudeh

Dramma di Nasrin Sotoudeh in Iran: sit in degli avvocati senesi davanti al Tribunale
IRÁN: Declaración conjunta de la OIAD y otras Organizaciones Internacionales de Abogados y Colegios de la Abogacía pidiendo protección para la abogacía iraní
(ESPANOL)

https://www.emma.de/artikel/heldinnenaward-nasrin-sotoudeh-340707 (DEUTSCH)

Iran: Day of the Endangered Lawyer Jan. 24, 2024

#FreeNasrin

#NasrinSotoudeh

#DayoftheEndangeredLawyer

#WomenLifeFreedom

#IOpposetheMandatoryHijab

#FreedomButton

#اعدام_نکنید

#نه_به_اعدام

Belarus: New criminal case opened against rights lawyer Leanid Sudalenka

Sem categoria 07/11/2023 Leave a comment

07/11/23

On 1 November 2023, the Investigative Committee of Homiel region opened a criminal case against Belarusian human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka. He is charged with “facilitating extremist activity”, an offence envisaged by Article 361-4 of the Belarusian Criminal Code. Under the article, the convicted person can be imprisoned for up to six years.

Leanid Sudalenka is a prominent human rights defender, lawyer, and heads the Gomel branch of the Human Rights Centre Viasna (HRC Viasna). He is also an active campaigner and advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus. Leanid Sudalenka is laureate of the 2018 ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’ Human Rights Prize of the French Republic. In 2020, together with human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova, Andrei Chapiuk, and Tatsiana Lasitsa, Leanid Sudalenka was awarded a Homo Hominin Award. The Homel branch of the HRC Viasna provides legal support to victims of human rights violations and helps them to prepare individual complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

On 1 November 2023, the Investigative Committee of Homel region opened a criminal case against the human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka under the charges of the “other facilitation of extremist activity“ as provided by Article 361-4 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.  The punishment for this offense ranges from two to six years of imprisonment. Since the human rights defender resides outside of Belarus he has not yet familiarised himself with the case files. Leanid Sudalenka remains unsure which of his actions the authorities deemed as constituting “other facilitation of extremist activity.” Previously, on 14 August 2023, the Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB) listed the Homiel branch of the Human Rights Centre Viasna (HRC Viasna) as an extremist organization and added the Homiel branch’s website and social media accounts to the Republic’s List of Extremist Content. The declaration of the Homiel branch of HRC Viasna and its online content as extremist exposes those who engage with this branch of the human rights organization to risks of administrative and criminal prosecution. Since Leanid Sudalenka is the Head of the Homel Branch of Vyasna, authorities can target the human rights defender on these grounds.

Leanid Sudalenka also believes that the criminal case could be a reprisal for him being outspoken about his experience as a political prisoner in Belarus.

[…]

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/new-criminal-case-opened-against-human-rights-defender-leanid-sudalenka

https://charter97.org/en/news/2023/11/1/569878/

https://charter97.org/en/news/2023/10/31/569759/

https://www.salidarnast.info/post/leanid-sudalenka-i-stood-my-ground-did-not-betray-my-conscience-and-i-am-proud-of-it

https://www.epde.org/en/news/details/leanid-sudalenka-released-after-serving-jail-term-in-full.html

https://freeviasna.org/en

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

https://nashaniva.com/be_latn/329544/ (BELARUSIAN)

https://prisoners.spring96.org/be/person/leanid-sudalenka

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/leanid-sudalenka (RUSSIAN)

https://belsat.eu/pl/news/05-11-2023-symbol-protestow-zakladnikiem-lukaszenki-bialystok-i-pulk-kalinowskiego-solidarne-z-tor-band (POLSKI)

Belarus misuses counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation to stifle dissent: UN expert

Sem categoria 27/10/2023 Leave a comment

26/10/23

The Belarusian authorities are misusing counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation to further purge civic space, suppress freedom of expression and eradicate political opposition, a UN expert said.

“Many opposition figures, civil society activists, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists have been abusively labelled as “extremists”, detained and prosecuted since 2020. Harassment, repression and fear compelled those who are not behind bars to seek refuge abroad,” said Anaïs Marin, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus.

In her report to the General Assembly, Marin noted that Belarusian legislation provides loose definitions of “terrorism” and “extremism” which can be interpreted to include activities related to the legitimate exercise of human rights.

The expert warned that convictions for terrorism have multiplied against individuals who sought to document or obstruct the transit of Russian troops and military equipment for the war in Ukraine through Belarussian territory. The scope of the death penalty, applied in Belarus notably for terrorism, has reportedly been extended to include “planned” or “attempted” acts of terrorism, as well as high treason.

“The weaponisation of legislation is possible because there are no guarantees of fair trial in Belarus, while court hearings behind closed doors and non-disclosure agreements imposed on lawyers are widespread,” the Special Rapporteur said.

[…]

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/belarus-misuses-counter-terrorism-and-anti-extremism-legislation-stifle

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/supreme-court-belarus-upholds-woman-human-rights-defender-nasta-loikas-7-year-prison-sentence

https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-hnauk-tougher-prison-lukashenka-opposition/32653510.html

Yuliya Yurhilevich awarded the Ludovic Trarieux Prize.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/17/continuing-fight-jailed-rights-defenders-belarus

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/08/belarus-decree-puts-exiled-citizens-risk

https://www.coe.int/en/web/cdcj/cj-av

https://www.coe.int/fr/web/cdcj/cj-av (FRANCAIS)

China: After 6 years arbitrary detention rights lawyer Li Yuhan sentenced to 6 1/2 years jail

Sem categoria 26/10/2023 Leave a comment

25/10/23

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/woman-human-rights-defender-and-lawyer-li-yuhans-health-deteriorates-under-prolonged-detention

https://www.voachinese.com/a/second-trial-of-human-rights-lawyer-li-yuhan-20231025/7326163.html (SIMPLIFIED CHINESE)

https://www.voacantonese.com/a/second-trial-of-human-rights-lawyer-li-yuhan-20231025/7327282.html (CANTONESE)

Chine : après six ans de privation de liberté, un avocat défenseur des droits humains finalement condamné
(FRANCAIS)

https://esgdata.it/document/Sgq8Z4sBMm6Fg8S1sqZB/cina-avvocato-per-i-diritti-umani-condannato-dopo-sei-anni-di-privazione-di-libert224- (ITALIANO)

Avvocata cinese per i diritti umani condannata dopo sei anni di carcere