Sep 27, 2019 | News
On 27 September, the Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (NJCM) and the ICJ held a a closed-door roundtable discussion in the Hague on investigative procedures and procedural rights in counter terrorism: implementing the EU Directive 2017/541 on combating terrorism. The discussion took place in the framework of the EU funded project “Judges Uniting to Stop Terrorism with International, Constitutional and European law (JUSTICE) project”.
Judges, prosecutors and lawyers from 11 EU countries shared their practices and experiences in the application of the investigative procedures and procedural rights related to the prosecution of the criminal offences enshrined in the EU Directive 2017/541 on combating terrorism within the different legal systems of the European Union (EU).
The discussion focused on investigative powers, evidence gathering, pre-trial detention, cross border cooperation and the European Arrest Warrant. These practices were assessed in light of international human rights law principles in order to identify best practices that could be promoted throughout the EU.
This is the second out of four roundtables organized within this project between April and November 2019 by the ICJ and partners.
See the agenda here.
Sep 26, 2019 | Events, News
Today, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in cooperation with the Civil Society Coalition Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan and the Union of Lawyers of the Republic of Tajikistan hold the final event within the framework of its Global redress and accountability initiative.
This event presents an opportunity to discuss measures to prevent impunity and ensure accountability for the use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (CIDT) in Tajikistan.
The findings of the research on the key challenges for effective investigation of torture and CIDT, carried out by the Coalition Against Torture under the initiative, will be presented at the event. The ICJ will launch its compilation of the cases decided by the UN Human Rights Committee concerning allegations of torture in Tajikistan.
Background information:
The ICJ’s Global redress and accountability initiative focused on seven countries (Cambodia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Venezuela) and it aimed to combat impunity and promote redress for gross human rights violations.
It concentrates on the transformative role of the law, justice mechanisms and justice actors, seeking to achieve greater adherence of national legal and institutional frameworks with international law and standards so as to allow for effective redress and accountability; more independent justice mechanisms capable of dealing with challenges of impunity and access to redress; and judges, lawyers, human rights defenders, victims and their representatives that are better equipped to demand and deliver truth, justice and reparation.
Agenda here.
Sep 24, 2019 | Events, News
The ICJ in cooperation with a number of other leading international NGOs has organised a discussion on key challenges and opportunities for the legal profession in a number of CIS countries. The discussion aimed to share the experience of bar associations in achieving greater independence from the governmental authorities and any other undue influences.
The participants have shared their legislation and practices, specific challenges and lessons learned in taking steps to achieve institutional sustainability and independence to date, and opportunities for the legal profession, domestically and in coordination with other associations and international NGOs, to raise awareness and build legal and practical framework to enable a stronger institutional capacity and independent functioning. In addition, the ICJ, ABA, IBA, Lawyers for Lawyers, representatives of bar associations and legal experts have discussed what steps should be taken to support these efforts.
Sep 24, 2019 | News
The ICJ today called for an end to criminal proceedings against Dagir Hasavov, a prominent Russian lawyer facing prosecution on allegations of obstruction of justice.
On 17 September, less than a week after lawyer Dmitriy Sotnikov was physically attacked in court, Dagir Hasavov was detained by police in the Lefortovo court building in Moscow. He was charged with “obstruction of justice” and “bribery or coercion to testify or evasion of giving evidence” (articles 294.1 and 309.4 of the Russian Criminal Code). On 18 September, Moscow Basmanny court authorised the detention of Hasavov until 16 November.
“There are strong indications that these charges are spurious and that the arrest of Dagir Hasavov is an attempt to obstruct him in carrying out his professional duties, and to prevent his clients from having a fair trial. The proceedings should be discontinued and he should be immediately released.” said Róisín Pillay, ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme Director. “Such arrests also send a clear message of intimidation to other lawyers. Without urgent measures to end harassment of lawyers, the ability of the legal profession to protect human rights will be increasingly jeopardized”.
Dagir Khasavov represented the former Dagestan Prime Minister Abdusamad Hamidov, who was detained together with his deputy Rayudin Yusufov by the FSB in February 2018 as part of a special anti-corruption operation and was charged with multiple criminal offences, including embezzlement.
Prosecutors allege that Dagir Hasavov threatened Albert Havchaev, a witness in the trial, and attempted to coerce him to testify in court for the benefit of the defence. Hasavov’s home was also searched.
Eduard Isetskiy, another lawyer of the former Dagestan Prime Minister, has stated that after the arrest of Hasavov he and other colleagues were told by investigators that they would face similar prosecution. He added that towards the end of a trial, about a week before the Hasavov’s arrest, the State Prosecutor on the case was replaced and the courtroom became increasingly surrounded with armed and masked security forces. The new prosecutor called lawyers “extremists” and filed a motion to have all their social networks accounts blocked.
Any criminal proceedings against the lawyer amounting to harassment or reprisals for his professional activities would constitute not only an assault on the legal profession in the Russian Federation, but also a violation of the right to a fair trial, protected under international human rights law.
Moreover, international standards on the rights of lawyers, including the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, provide that governments must ensure that lawyers “are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference” and “shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.”
The ICJ stresses that these attacks, arrests and criminal proceedings that have been taking place in Russia lately, create a chilling effect on the proper exercise of professional duties by lawyers, endangering the right to a fair trial and undermining the justice system.
Additional information:
Dagir Hasavov is a prominent lawyer in Russia who has taken many cases dealing with allegations of religious extremism or terrorism. He has defended among others the Moscow imam Mahmud Velitov, convicted for justification of terrorism; the former representative of the President in Sakhalin oblast charged with extremism; several persons accused of participation in Hizb ut-Tahrir, the organization banned in Russia. He also represented pro bono the parents of a murdered 5-year-old Tajik girl Huvaido Tillozoda.
It has been reported that around 100 lawyers are joining together to defend Hasavov as the Russian legal community has realized the need for corporate solidarity in the face of the increasing threats to the security of lawyers and independence of the profession.
Sep 24, 2019 | Events, News
The side event aims to identify current threats against lawyers’ professional rights and guarantees in the OSCE region.
The speakers will identify and analyze the current trends through a discussion of recently gathered data and specific cases of violation of lawyers’ rights from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Russia and Belarus. They will also make recommendations regarding the way forward to increase protection for lawyers and the independent legal profession in these countries and the OSCE region as a whole.
A flyer for the event is available here.
The agenda for the event available here.
