Bahrain: Human rights defender Nabeel Rajab released from prison | Update

Full PDF (ENG) On 9 June, human rights defender Nabeel Rajab was released from Bahrain's Jaw prison to serve a non-custodial sentence, after spending nearly four years in arbitrary detention in relation to tweets and media interviews criticising Bahrain’s human rights record. Along with … [Read more...]

Bangladesh: Investigate the murder of lawyer Mr. Asadul Hoque | Joint Statement

Full PDF (ENG) BANGLADESH: 24 International organizations and individuals condemn the murder of lawyer Asadul Hoque The Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL), Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Lawyers … [Read more...]

Thailand government must end judicial harassment against woman/human rights defenders | Press Release | Joint Letter

Full PDF Letter (ENG) | Full PDF letter (Thai) June 7, 2020 Thailand government must end judicial harassment against woman/human rights defenders Immediate release Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada is among 53 groups and 23 individuals urging the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights and … [Read more...]

ATTACKING DEFENDERS: The Criminalization of Human Rights Advocacy | LRWC publication

Free .pdf download | Also available on CanLii Read the Foreword by Michel Forst Press release ATTACKING DEFENDERS: THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY A guide to international law rights of human rights defenders Foreword After 13 years of negotiation, the United Nations … [Read more...]

Turkey: Discontinue criminal investigations against Ankara and Diyarbakir Bar Associations | Joint letter

Full PDF (ENG) Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada is among ten lawyers' organizations expressing concern about criminal investigations launched in Turkey against the Ankara Bar Association and the Diyarbakir Bar Association for “openly disrespect[ing] the religious belief of a group” (article … [Read more...]

Hong Kong: Independent investigation of police use of force required by law | Letter

Full .pdf letter Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor Chief Executive of Hong Kong Via email to: ceo@ceo.gov.hk Ms Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah Secretary of Justice for Hong Kong Via email to: sjo@doj.gov.hk Dear Chief Executive Lam and Secretary of Justice Cheng; Re: Independent investigation … [Read more...]

Turkey: Release Lawyer Turan Canpolat from Unlawful Detention | Joint Letter

Full PDF (ENG) Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada on 15 May 2020 endorsed a letter with eleven other human rights organizations calling on for the release of lawyer Turan Canpolat, detained without trial for more than four years in violation of international human rights law binding on … [Read more...]

Cambodia: Civil society seeks changes to State of Emergency Law to comply with international human rights law | Joint Statement

Full PDF (ENG) | Full PDF (Khmer) Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada on 13 May 2020 endorsed a joint statement of more than 60 Cambodian civil society organizations and community groups outlining concerns about Cambodia's recently passed State of Emergency Law and calling on the Royal Government of … [Read more...]

Turkey: International law obligations to release Lawyers and others Illegally Imprisoned | Letter

Full PDF (ENG) LRWC calls for the immediate release of prisoners unlawfully detained and convicted under anti-terrorism laws. As those convicted under these provisions were denied internationally protected rights essential to a fair trial, there is no legal justification for their detention. … [Read more...]

Yemen: Overturn Death Sentence of Four Journalists Say Over 150 NGOs | Joint Statement

Full PDF (ENG) / Full PDF (ARA) / Full PDF (FRE) / Full PDF (SPA) Human right NGOs call on United Nations mechanisms and member states  to help save the lives of four Yemeni journalists who were sentenced to death in April 2020 in the capital Sana’a on charges of “spying” and “spreading false … [Read more...]