The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns the ongoing attacks against independent lawyers in Belarus, a number of whom are facing disbarment, arbitrary prosecution, and other forms of harassment by authorities as they perform their professional duties and exercise their right to freedom of expression.
The staff of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) – a South African human rights non-profit organisation – have received death threats and other threats of violence, forcing the organization to temporarily close down its offices. This follows SERI’s decision to provide legal representation to a group of about 600 informal traders to help them challenge their eviction by the City of Johannesburg from their trading stalls before the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court, Johannesburg
Before the UN Human Rights Council, the ICJ called today on all States to promote accountability for crimes under international law in Myanmar and on Myanmar junta to ensure the independence of the legal profession.
The ICJ and other human rights organisations express deep concern for the ongoing detention of lawyer and minority and civic rights activist Hejaaz Hizbullah, who has been held under Sri Lanka’s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for 15 months. In the absence of any credible evidence presented before a court of law, Hejaaz Hizbullah should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Today, before the UN Human Rights Council, the ICJ called on Ukrainian authorities once again to ensure the independence of the judiciary and investigate attacks on lawyers, essential elements to make effective any human rights technical assistance and capacity building.
Palestine/Israel: Israel must immediately stop its criminal forcible displacement in Gaza
HRC59: ICJ Statement in the interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on Venezuela – addressing arbitrary detention and repression of civic space
HRC59: Joint statement during interactive dialogue on Myanmar – addressing ongoing atrocity crimes and the collapse of judicial independence
HRC59: Joint statement during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Belarus – condemning repression of lawyers and the erosion of judicial independence