UN Human Rights Council: Harassment of lawyers in Belarus | Joint statement

Full pdf joint statement See the full interactive dialogue debate on video. UPDATE: See the resolution of the Human Rights Council adopted by vote on 1 April 2022 extending the OHCHR examination for a further year United Nations Human Rights Council, 49th Session  Item 4: … [Read more...]

UN Human Rights Council: Iran: Arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of human rights lawyers and defenders | Joint oral statement

Full .pdf statement See video. LRWC statement at 01:42:14 Organization: Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada Item: Item 3: General Debate Date: 16 March 2022 Speaker: Paria Saremi Oral Statement to the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC), … [Read more...]

Saudi Arabia: Raif Badawi released | Update

Raif Badawi released after 10 years of arbitrary detention but he remains subject to 10-year travel ban Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada welcomes the 11 March 2022 release of blogger and human rights defender Mr. Raif Badawi, now 38, after serving a ten-year prison sentence. He was also sentenced to … [Read more...]

UN Human Rights Council: Turkey: Abuse of anti-terrorism laws to arbitrarily detain human rights lawyers and defenders | Joint oral statement

Full pdf statement See the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism. See LRWC's statement at 01:51:24 Organization:   Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada Item:             Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on  Interactive dialogue with the … [Read more...]

UN Human Rights Council: Torture of lawyers in China | Oral video statement

Full .pdf statement See video of statement (at 28:23) See first part of the Interactive Dialogue at 02:27:50 Organization: Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada Item: Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or … [Read more...]

UN Human Rights Council: OHCHR report on grave human rights violations in Xinjiang can wait no longer | Joint oral statement

Full joint statement (.docx) | See joint letter released 8 March 2022 See the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' Annual Update 8 March 2022. See Human Rights Watch video statement at 33:30   Joint statement: Item 2 General Debate on High Commissioner’s update OHCHR report on … [Read more...]

China: Arbitrarily detained lawyer Yu Wensheng released | Update

Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada welcomes the news that Chinese human rights lawyer Mr. Yu Wensheng has been released from prison after completing a four year prison sentence for "inciting subversion of State power." He was reunited with his wife Ms. Xu Yan in Beijing. However, there are significant … [Read more...]

China: Yu Wensheng must be fully free on March 1st: No ‘non-release release’ from prison for Chinese human rights lawyer | Joint statement

See the full statement in English or Chinese 余文生必须在3月1日获得完全的自由 中国维权律师的出狱不能是“伪释放” On 16 February 2022, LRWC joined a statement by ten human rights organizations, led by the International Service for Human Rights, urging China's government to ensure that lawyer Yu Wensheng is able … [Read more...]

South Sudan: Extend the mandate of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan | Joint letter to member and observer States of the UN Human Rights Council

Full .pdf joint letter (EN) | (FR) UPDATE: Resolution extending the mandate of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, 1 April 2022 To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council 10 February 2022 Re: Extend the … [Read more...]

United Nations: 349 NGOs call for positive elections to UN body that opens doors to civil society

Full pdf joint letter (EN) (FR) (ES) On 10 February, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada joined a group of 349 national, regional and international NGOs calling for  States to take NGO participation seriously and vote accordingly.  In April, 2022, elections will be held to the UN Committee on … [Read more...]