Mar 5, 2020 | Новости, Статьи
МКЮ выражает обеспокоенность в связи с решениями Есильского и Сарыаркинского районных судов г. Нур-Султан от 26 февраля о лишении лицензии двух адвокатов, Ерлана Газымжанова и Аманжола Мухамедьярова, по иску Министерства юстиции.
Данные меры наносят удар по способности адвокатов независимо осуществлять свою профессию.
Непосредственным основанием для иска Минюста стало размещение адвокатами в социальной сети фрагментов видеозаписи судебного заседания по уголовному делу, где они выступали в качестве защитников, на которых зафиксировано ненадлежащее поведение судьи. Видео было опубликовано после окончания судебного процесса по делу.
После опубликования видео специализированный судейский орган привлек судью к дисциплинарной ответственности за ее поведение в ходе судебного заседания. В то же время, судебные органы обратились в Министерство юстиции с требованием принять меры в отношении адвокатов за размещение фрагментов видео на их страницах в социальных сетях.
МКЮ осуществляла наблюдение за судебными заседаниями по вопросу о лишении адвокатской лицензии по каждому делу. Оба заседания проходили в надлежащем порядке. Тем не менее, МКЮ была встревожена тем, что пресс-служба Верховного Суда непосредственно в ходе заседания опубликовала комментарий в социальной сети, который вызывает сомнения относительно беспристрастности производства. Более того, председатели Есильского и Сарыаркинского районных судов г. Нур-Султан опубликовали идентичные комментарии, в том числе с точки зрения обоснования решений судей, рассматривавших указанные дела. Это произошло сразу же после оглашения решений сторонам. При этом устные разъяснения решений судьями, председательствующими по делу, отличались от комментариев, размещенных председателями соответствующих судов. В результате производства оба адвоката были лишены лицензии.
МКЮ с обеспокоенностью отмечает, что данные суровые меры в отношении адвокатов не предусмотрены законодательством, устанавливающим ответственность за предположительно совершенные нарушения. МКЮ подчеркивает, что принцип законности требует, помимо прочего, чтобы мера, предусматривающая ограничение прав человека, применялась исключительно в порядке, предусмотренном законом, который должен быть выражен четким и недвусмысленным образом. Требование о том, что подобная мера должна быть предусмотрена законом, отсылает не только к наличию закона как такового, но и к его качеству, т.е. закон должен быть предсказуемым, поскольку норма не может считаться законом, если она не сформулирована достаточно точно, чтобы позволить гражданам регулировать свое поведение: граждане должны иметь возможность предвидеть (насколько это объективно позволяют обстоятельства) возможные последствия своих действий.
Законодательство Казахстана не содержит запрета на опубликование видеозаписи судебного заседания в сети Интернет, не говоря уже о том, чтобы карать подобные действия лишением адвокатской лицензии. Единственным документом, нарушение которого составили действия адвокатов, является внутриведомственный приказ Департамента по обеспечению деятельности судов при Верховном Суде, который не имеет статуса закона и не предусматривает, прямо или косвенно, лишение адвокатской лицензии за опубликование видеозаписи. Ни законодательство, ни Кодекс профессиональной этики адвокатов не устанавливают какого-либо наказания за опубликование видеозаписи судебного заседания в сети Интернет. Таким образом, МКЮ обеспокоена тем, что примененная санкция не была надлежащим образом предусмотрена национальным законом и как таковая является непредсказуемой и нарушает принцип законности.
На основании иска Министерства юстиции о применении конкретной санкции по отношению к адвокатам – лишении адвокатской лицензии – суды рассматривали вопрос о применении только этой санкции. Данная санкция назначается пожизненно. Принимая во внимание правовую неопределенность характера нарушений и серьезные последствия, к которым они привели, данная санкция представляется непропорциональной.
Учитывая наличие механизма обычного дисциплинарного производства в Республиканской коллегии адвокатов, который был введен в действие новым законом об адвокатуре 2018 г., МКЮ обеспокоена тем, что данная процедура не была использована в случае адвокатов, так как иски в их отношении были поданы непосредственно в районные суды. Министерство юстиции не обращалось в дисциплинарные органы коллегии адвокатов, что придает указанным органам адвокатуры бутафорский характер.
«В ходе судебного заседания мы не услышали убедительных доводов по вопросу о том, почему не использовалось обычное дисциплинарное производство в коллегии адвокатов, в том числе в связи с предположительным нарушением адвокатской этики», – заявил Тимур Шакиров, старший правовой советник МКЮ.
«В данных обстоятельствах полномочия коллегии адвокатов по оценке поведения ее члена приобретают решающий характер с точки зрения обеспечения независимости юридической профессии, как этого требует международное право и соответствующие стандарты», – добавил Шакиров.
МКЮ призывает компетентные органы восстановить адвокатские лицензии Аманжола Мухамедьярова и Ерлана Газымжанова. Кроме того, необходимо усилить полномочия коллегии адвокатов с точки зрения различных аспектов ее независимого функционирования, в том числе в рамках дисциплинарного производства, в особенности когда адвокатам грозит лишение лицензии. С этой целью МКЮ призывает Парламент Казахстана пересмотреть действующее законодательство и устранить возможность любого органа исполнительной власти действовать в обход полномочий коллегии адвокатов по оценке профессионального поведения ее членов, в том числе в случае лишения адвокатской лицензии и иного дисциплинарного производства.
Disbarment-of-Mukhamediaov-and-Gazymzhanov-2020-ENG (полный текст документа в формате PDF с общим описанием дела, на англ.)
Mar 3, 2020 | News
The ICJ today called on the Greek authorities to withdraw their decision to close its border with Turkey for “national security” reasons as it constitutes a clear breach of the country’s obligations under international refugee and human rights law as well as EU law.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has ordered the closure of the border with Turkey for “national security” reasons as thousands of refugees have been arriving at the border with Greece.
The ICJ said that the decision to close the border to migrants and refugees coming from Turkey breaches their right to seek asylum, the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsion, which Greece must uphold under international human rights and refugee law and the EU Charter.
“Any violence and push-backs occurring at the border and at sea must stop and the persons responsible for acts of violence must be duly investigated and prosecuted. Respect for human rights principles that form part of the EU’s founding values require that refugees are not pushed back at the borded,” said Massimo Frigo, Senior Legal Adviser for the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme.
“Assistance should be centred on fostering access to asylum and not on strengthening border control where, in the current situation, EU authorities, such as Frontex, risk assisting in human rights violations,” he added.
The ICJ calls on the European Union to immediately set up a relocation plan with the Greek authorities to allow them to properly process asylum applications without placing refugees in dire reception conditions, such as those existing for refugees on the Greek islands.
The ICJ, together with ECRE and the Greek Refugee Council has launched a complaint against Greece before the European Committee of Social Rights on the degrading conditions of migrant children in Greece (ICJ and ECRE v. Greece).
Background
The movement of refugees comes after the declaration by President Recep Tayip Erdogan not to continue to retain on its territory Syrian refugees under the so-called “EU-Turkey statement”, following the armed conflict in Idlib (Syria).
Under this “statement”, Turkey had previously agreed to retain Syrian refugees on its territory and to accept Syrian refugees that reached Greek territory without their request of international protection being examined by the Greek authorities.
On the basis of the same “statement”, the EU had agreed to resettle some of the Syrian refugees in its Member States.
Contact
Massimo Frigo, Senior Legal Adviser, ICJ’s Europe and Central Asia Programme, t: +41 22 979 3805; e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org
Feb 28, 2020 | Advocacy, Cases, Legal submissions
The ICJ has intervened with an expert opinion to support the board members of the Turkish Medial Association in the appeal against their conviction for hate speech offences. The conviction raises significant concerns for freedom of expression.
The case before the Appeal Court concerns 11 defendants, all members of the Council of the Turkish Medical Association: Mehmet Raşit Tükel, Taner Gören, Sinan Adıyaman, Mehmet Sezai Berber, Selma Güngör, Bülent Nazım Yılmaz, Funda Barlık Obuz, Dursun Yaşar Ulutaş, Ayfer Horasan, Şeyhmus Gökalp and Hande Arpat.
On 3 May 2019, the defendants were convicted at first instance by the Ankara 32 Assize Court for having issued statements opposing the war during Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in Syria.
The Assize Court concluded that the members of the Council publicly provoked hatred or hostility in one section of the public against another section which has a different characteristic based on social class, race, religion, sect or regional difference, in a way that creates an explicit and imminent danger to public security. The Court sentenced each defendant to two terms of 10 months’ imprisonment for provoking the public to hatred and hostility in two separate statements.
Hande Arpat was additionally convicted of “disseminating propaganda in support of a terrorist organization” to 18 months and 22 days in prison concerning her three Facebook posts.
The ICJ expert opinion presented before the Court of Appeal examines international law standards relevant to the criminalization and prosecution of crimes of expression.
Turkey-AssDoctors-ExpertOpinion-2020-ENG (download the expert opinion in English)
Turkey-AssDoctors-ExpertOpinion-2020-TUR (download the expert opinion in Turkish)
Feb 28, 2020 | News
The ICJ expresses concern at the decisions of 26 February of Yesil and Saryarka district courts of Nur-Sultan to disbar two lawyers, Erlan Gazymzhanov and Amanzhol Mukhamediarov, at the request of the Ministry of Justice.
These disbarments are a blow against the ability of lawyers to exercise their profession independently.
The immediate cause for the action was that the lawyers had published clips from a video recording of court proceedings in which the lawyers had acted for the defence, showing the judge behaving in an inappropriate way, on social media. The video clip was published after the proceedings had been concluded.
Following this publication, the judge was disciplined by a specialised judicial body for her behaviour during the court proceedings. At the same time, the judiciary addressed the Ministry of Justice with a request to act against the two lawyers for posting video clips on their social media pages.
The ICJ observed the court proceedings for disbarment of the lawyers in both cases. The court hearings proceeded in an orderly manner. However, the ICJ was concerned that the Press Service of the Supreme Court issued a comment on social media during the hearings that cast doubt on the impartiality of the proceedings. Furthermore, the Presidents of Yesil and Saryarka district courts of Nur-Sultan published identical comments, including the rationale for the decisions of judges that considered the cases. This happened immediately after the court decisions were pronounced to the parties. The oral explanations of decisions by judges presiding in the cases differed from the comments published by the respective presidents of the courts. The proceedings resulted in both lawyers being disbarred.
The ICJ notes with concern that these severe sanctions do not follow from legislation concerning the alleged breaches. The ICJ stresses that the principle of legality requires, among other things, that any measure imposing restrictions on human rights must be applied only as provided for by laws that are expressed clearly and unambiguously. The requirement that a measure be in accordance with law refers not only to the existence of the law but also to the quality of such law, which must be foreseeable, since a norm cannot be regarded as law unless it is formulated with sufficient precision to enable the citizen to regulate his or her conduct: he or she must be able to foresee, to a degree that is reasonable in the circumstances, the consequences which a given action may entail.
Kazakhstan legislation does not contain any prohibition of publishing videos of court hearings online, let alone prescribe disbarment for such action. The only document against which the lawyers acted were the internal rules of the Department for Judicial Administration under the Supreme Court, which do not have the status of law and which neither explicitly nor implicitly suggest disbarment for posting the videos. Neither legislation nor lawyers’ ethical rules contain any penalty for publishing video of court hearings online. Therefore, the ICJ is concerned that the sanction imposed is not adequately prescribed by national law, and as such is unforeseeable and contrary to the principle of legality.
Following the request of the Ministry of Justice to apply a specific sanction against the lawyers –termination of the right to practice law – the courts considered only this sanction. This sanction is imposed for life. Bearing in mind the legal uncertainty as to the nature of the violations and the serious consequences that they entail, this sanction appears to be disproportionate.
Bearing in mind the existence of regular disciplinary proceedings before the National Bar Association that were introduced by the new law on the advokatura in 2018, the ICJ is concerned that these procedures were not utilized in these cases, which were initiated directly before the District Courts. The Ministry of Justice did not address the Bar Association’s disciplinary bodies, which makes a sham of the disciplinary bodies of the legal profession.
“We did not hear any convincing arguments in the proceedings as to why ordinary disciplinary proceedings of the Bar Association, including those related to an alleged breach of lawyers’ ethics, have not been used”, said Temur Shakirov, ICJ Senior Legal Adviser.
“In the circumstances such as these, the role of the Bar Association in assessing the conduct of its member is essential to ensuring independence of the legal profession as required by international law and standards”, Shakirov added.
The ICJ calls on the relevant authorities to restore the licences to practice law of Amanzhol Mukhamediarov and Erlan Gazymzhanov. Furthermore, the role of the Bar Association in various aspects of its independent functioning, including the disciplinary proceedings, especially where lawyers may face a disbarment should be strengthened. To this end, the ICJ calls on the Parliament of Kazakhstan to reconsider the legislative framework and remove the possibility of any executive authority to bypass the Bar Association’s competence to evaluate professional conduct of its members, including any disbarment or other disciplinary proceedings.
Disbarment-of-Mukhamediaov-and-Gazymzhanov-2020-ENG (full PDF document with backgroud information).
Feb 28, 2020 | News
The ICJ and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) urge the Turkish Council of Judges and Prosecutors (CJP) to stop their investigation into the three judges of the Istanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court who, on 18 February 2020, acquitted the defendants in the Gezi Park trial due to a lack of evidence.
According to a statement from 30 Turkish bar associations, the sole reason for the investigation was the acquittal in the Gezi Park trial. The Council of Judges and Prosecutors, the body of self-governance of the judiciary, has the power to launch and take disciplinary action against judges, including disciplinary proceedings leading to removal from office.
“The launch of such an investigation is a further sign of the grave decline of the rule of law in Turkey”, said Massimo Frigo, Senior Legal Adviser for the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme “The disciplinary proceedings against these judges appear to be a direct interference in their decision-making power and will have a chilling effect on the independence of all members of the judiciary.”
“The role of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors should be to protect the independence of the judiciary – not to be an instrument of control and pressure against individual judges” said Massimo Frigo.
IBAHRI Co-Chair, the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, commented: “The IBAHRI and the ICJ jointly welcomed the acquittal of Osman Kavala and the other 15 defendants. Now, we condemn the re-arrest of Mr Kavala, continue to stand with the defendants, and call for Mr Kavala’s immediate release. We implore the Turkish Council of Judges and Prosecutors to reconsider the hugely damaging impact their inspection of the judges will have on the principles of judicial independence and the rights of lawyers, and to cease all action in this respect.”
The launch of this investigation occurred immediately after the acquittals in the Gezi trial, spurred by the vehement public protests by President Erdogan against the verdict.
30 Turkish Bar Associations have issued a statement calling for the resignation of the members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and considered this investigation as a violation of the principle of judicial independence under the Turkish Constitution.
Background
The defendants in the Gezi trial – with the exception of those not present in Turkey who will be tried separately – were acquitted on 18 February for lack of evidence. The ICJ and IBAHRI welcomed the acquittal after having observed all hearings of the trial. The very evening of the verdict, one of the defendants, Osman Kavala, was re-arrested on suspicion of “attempting to disrupt the constitutional order” connected to the failed coup attempt of 2016.
Osman Kavala has been in detention since 18 October 2017 pending trial on charges connected to the Gezi Park protests. The Gezi Park protests began in May 2013 as an effort by a group of environmentalists to save a park in central Istanbul from being rezoned, but soon grew into nationwide demonstrations. Police quelled the protest in Taksim Square with the use of tear gas and water cannons.
Contact:
Massimo Frigo, ICJ Senior Legal Adviser – e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org – t: +41229793805