China: Release human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and end the practice of enforced disappearances | Joint Statement

Full pdf statement with 35 signatories, 11 August 2023 China: Release human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and end the practice of enforced disappearances We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release prominent human rights lawyer Gao … [Read more...]

Russia: Amicus brief to the Russian Constitutional Court: The law on discrediting the armed forces violates international human rights law | Joint amicus brief

Full Amicus Curiae brief to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on 21 cases registered in the Constitutional Court regarding Article 20.3.3. of the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO) [.pdf] Заключение по 21 делу, зарегистрированных в Конституционном Суде Российскойпо статье … [Read more...]

Russia: Submission to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of the Russian Federation | Joint submission

Full pdf joint submission On 5 April 2023, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada joined Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) in submitting a report for the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Russian … [Read more...]

LRWC Letter to Turkiye re Vahit Bicak 2023-03-22

On 10 March 2023, Dr. Bicak was convicted of insulting the memory of a dead person (Art. 130) and her family members (Art. 125) in the 35th Heavy Criminal Court. He was sentenced to 17 ½ months imprisonment on these charges. Brian Samuels, KC, LRWC Director, sent this follow-up to Turkish … [Read more...]

LRWC Letter to Turkiye re Vahit Bicak 2023-03-08

Dr. Bicak has become the target of a campaign of judicial harassment, most recently having been charged with insulting the memory of a dead person (Art. 130) and her family members (Art. 125) in the 35th Heavy Criminal Court. Brian Samuels, KC, LRWC Director, sent the following letter to Turkish … [Read more...]

Saudi Arabia: Release Dr. Mohammed Fahad Al-Qahtani | Letter

Full .pdf letter (EN) His Majesty, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the two Holy Mosques Email: info@moi.gov.sa His Excellency Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Email: info@moi.gov.sa His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin … [Read more...]

Canada: Concern about BC government intrusion on independence of the legal profession: BC Attorney General’s “Legal Professions Regulatory Modernization General Intentions Paper” | LRWC Statement

Statement on the British Columbia Legal Professions Regulatory Modernization General Intentions Paper, September 2022 Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada[*] 18 November 2022 Full statement below. To enlarge the Table of Contents and see the full pdf statement click here or on the image … [Read more...]

Türkiye: Fair Trial Rights

Full pdf letter (EN) 08 November 2022 Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President of the Republic of Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi 06100 Beştepe, Ankara, Türkiye Tel: +90 (312) 525 55 55 ; Fax: +90 (312) 525 58 31 Email: contact@tccb.gov.tr Mr. Abdulhamit Gül Minister of … [Read more...]

LRWC intervenes at the UN Human Rights Council on violations in over a dozen countries | Letters and statements at the 51st Session 12 September to 7 October 2022

During the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council held 12 September to 7 October 2022,  Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) intervened to seek the Council's action to address serious human rights violations in a number of countries including: Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, the Occupied … [Read more...]

Policy Complaint Concerning RCMP C-IRG unit behaviour at Argenta-Johnson’s Landing

LRWC and six other groups submitted a Joint Complaint to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission of the RCMP requesting an investigation of allegedly unlawful and arbitrary arrests on 17 May 2022 by the Critical Incident Response Group (C-IRG) of the RCMP in British Columbia. The Joint … [Read more...]