Türkiye’s authorities must immediately free human rights defender and philanthropist Osman Kavala, after a damning judgment of the European Court of Human Rights held the State did not act in good faith by keeping him behind bars despite a previous ruling of the Court requiring his release.
The ICJ today denounced attacks on lawyers across the world, in particular in the Russian Federation, Myanmar, Nepal, Venezuela and Turkey, in its statement during the dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
The statement before the UN Human Rights Council reads as follows:
“Mr President,
The ICJ welcomes this timely report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, which demonstrates that lawyers are targets of attacks, harassment, and arbitrary prosecutions and disbarment worldwide.
In the Russian Federation, contrary to international law and standards on the role of lawyers, law enforcement officials routinely impede the work of lawyers attempting to represent people detained or charged in connection with anti-war protests, including by using violence.
In Myanmar, where the judiciary is subservient to the executive, lawyers and their families face daily threats of arrest, detention and harassment solely for their professional activities.
In Nepal, the police have injured the Bar Association’s executive members, including its General Secretary, when they used excessive force against lawyers protesting against the corruption in the Supreme Court, and calling for an investigation of the Chief Justice. Similar violations occur in Venezuela.
In Turkey, legislative reforms have been introduced undermining the independence of the legal profession. Moreover, prominent human rights lawyers are subject to arbitrary prosecutions, including Cihan Aydin and Öztürk Türkdoğan.
The ICJ calls on this Council and all its Special Procedure to pay particular attention to attacks on lawyers whose work is essential for access justice and effective remedies to protect everyone’s human rights.
I thank you.”
Contact:
Massimo Frigo, ICJ UN Representative, e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org, t: +41797499949
ICJ TRAINING ON EFFECTIVE USE OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISM
The UN system of human rights protection has a range of instruments which are binding for States that are members of the UN or which are parties to specific instruments. Together they form a complex system of human rights protection which remains available for individuals who allege violations of their rights and those who defend them. Yet, these mechanisms often remain not sufficiently known by practitioners.
Yesterday’s aggravated life sentence, imposed following the guilty verdict against Osman Kavala, and the 18-year terms of imprisonment against other 15 defendants are a travesty of justice, said the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
Before the UN Human Rights Concil, the ICJ called today upon States to serious address the enduring impunity for crimes under international law and gross human rights violations committed in rendition and secret detention programmes and practices.