Interventions by the International Action Team
The number of trained human rights volunteers to just under 300 since the first training course took place in London on 10 December 2007. The training provides an overview of international human rights, and explains how to research and write Law Society intervention letters.
When a human rights situation occurs which falls within the narrow range that requires official action by the Law Society, typically 2 volunteers from the IAT are chosen to assist.
One (usually student) carries out the factual research, and another (usually non-student) researches the international legal standards and does the first draft of the intervention letter.
Here are the most recent interventions:
China, 8 February 2010
The Law Society wrote to President Jintao expressing concern for Mr Li Zhuang, a high profile lawyer based in Beijing.
Read the intervention here
China, 8 February 2010
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of human rights lawyer and former Nobel Peace Prize nominee Gao Zhisheng.
Read the intervention here
China, 8 February 2010
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of Huang Qi.
Read the intervention here
Fiji, 8 February 2010
The Law Society expressed concern surrounding the treatment of Imrana Jalal, a human rights lawyer.
Read the intervention here
China, 8 February 2010
The Law Society wrote to the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China expressing concern for the safety of Mr Wang Yonghang.
Read the intervention here
Venezuela, 26 January 2010
The Law Society expressed concern for Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni.
Read the intervention here
Iran, 26 January 2010
The Law Society expressed concern surrounding the separate cases of three Iranian men who have been given death sentences. They were convicted of committing homosexual acts.
Read the intervention here
Syria, 26 January 2010
The Law Society wrote to President Bashar al-Assad concerning the whereabouts of lawyer Mustafa Ismail.
Read the intervention here
Turkey, 26 January 2010
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of human rights lawyer, Mr Muharrem Erbe. Mr. Erbey is currently awaiting trial in Turkey.
Read the intervention here
Iran, 26 January 2010
The Law Society wrote a letter to the Head of the Judiciary concerning the trial of seven Baha'is in Iran.
Read the intervention here
Vietnam, 18 January 2010
The Law Society wrote to the Vice President cum Secretary General of the Vietnam Bar Federation expressing its concern for the safety of Mr Le Cong Dinh.
Read the intervention here
Read the intervention here
Syria, 14 January 2010
The Law Society expressed concern regarding the disbarrment proceedings brought against Al-Hassani, the president of the Syrian Organisation for Human Rights.
Read the intervention here
China, 11 January 2010
The Law Society wrote to Minister Wu Aiying expressing its concern for the arrest of human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong. Jiang Tianyong is a prominent human rights lawyer in Bejiung. He has represented human rights defenders, HIV carriers, earthquake victims, and arrested Tibetans.
Read the intervention here
Singapore, 11 January 2010
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of Yong Vui Kong, a Malaysian citizen, who has been sentenced to death.
Read the intervention here
Russia, 11 January 2010
The Law Society has expressed its concern to the Russian government regarding the safety of Oleg Orlov, the chairman of the Memorial Human Rights Centre, a leading Russian human rights organisation. Mr Orlov is currently being prosecuted in a criminal libel case and if convicted faces up to 4 years imprisonment.
Read the intervention here
Colombia, 10 December 2009
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of Jorge Molano, a human rights lawyer and his family. Jorge Molano is currently representing the families of 11 people subjected to enforced disappearance by the army in 1985, during an assault on th Palacio de Justicia.We understand that as a result of his work in this case and others he has become the subject of intimidation and harassment.
Read the intervention here
Russia, 7 December 2009
The Law Society expressed concern surrounding the death of Sergey Magnitskiy whilst in a Russian prison.
Read the intervention here
Mexico, 26 October 2009
The Law Society expressed concern for the physical and psychological well-being of Gustavo de la Rosa Hickerson, who works for the Ciudad Juared office of the Chihuahua Comisiomes Estatales de Derechos Humanos (CEDH). Mr Hickerson has been subject to threats to his life and has been unable to secure protection from the authorities.
Read the intervention here.
Mexico, 12 October 2009
The Law Society expressed concern for the safety of human rights lawyer Ricardo Lagunes Gasca, who works for Fray Barolome de Las Casas Human Rights Centre in Mexico. Mr Gasca was reportedly violently assaulted whilst working in the Chiapas region of Mexico. Such reports are symptomatic of violence against human rights workers working in the Chiapas region. The Law Society fully supports attempts to protect human rights lawyers and to prevent violence from occurring.
Read the intervention here.
Syria, 12 October 2009
The Law Society wrote to the Syrian Ministry of Justice to express concern for the arrest of human rights lawyer Mr Muhannad al Hassani. Mr Hassani has been denied access to a lawyer throughout the proceedings and is also under investigation for his organisation Swasiya, which is reportedly operating without legal authorisation.
Read the intervention here.
Cambodia, 8 October 2009
The Law Society wrote to the Pre-Trial Chamber, Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia, raising concerns with respect to the recent order by the Office of the Co-investigating Judges. The effect of the order will be that all evidence obtained by torture may be used in trials before the ECCC, regardless of whether or not it falls within the narrow exception provided in article 15 of the Convention Against Torture.
China, death penalty, 8 October 2009
The Law Society expressed concern to the Chinese authorities for the well-being of Mr Akmal Shaikh, the British citizen on death row for a drug smuggling conviction. Mr Shaikh is said to suffer from serious mental health issues but evidence of this has not been adduced in his trial.
Iraq, Camp Ashraf, 21 September 2009
The Law Society wrote to Mr Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Iraq, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The Law Society called upon UNAMI to create, in accordance with its mandate set down in UN Security Council Resolution 1830 (2008), a presence in Camp Ashraf in order to ensure the protection of the people of Ashraf until a more permanent solution can be found. Concrete steps such as this must be an urgent priority if we are to prevent the further killing of innocents in Camp Ashraf.
Iran, 26 August 2009
The Law Society, together with the Bar Council, and the Bar Human Rights Committee, expressed their deep concern at reports of mass trials being held in Iran following the political unrest after the disputed June presidential elections. The trials include members of the opposition reform movement and are the latest in a series of moves which threaten to undermine Iran’s credibility for upholding international standards for the rule of law and fair trial procedures.
Kazakhstan, Daniyar Kanafin, 13 August 2009
The Law Society and the Bar Human Rights Committee are deeply alarmed by the initiation of disbarment proceedings against Daniyar Kanafin, a Kazakh advocate and member of the Almaty City Bar Association, which has raised concerns about the independence of lawyers in Kazakhstan. The alleged reason for the disbarment proceedings is because the lawyer is representing a client who is in dispute with the state.
Iraq, Iranian refugees, Camp Ashraf, 6 August 2009
An attack by Iraqi forces on a refugee camp holding thousands of Iranians has prompted the Law Society's International Human Rights Committee to intervene. Following reports of the attack at the beginning of August, the International Human Rights Committee called on all parties, including the United States and Iraq, to ensure that Camp Ashraf residents are properly protected.
Russia, Natalia Estemirova, 30 July 2009
The Law Society is deeply alarmed by the recent death of Natalia Estemirova,a human rights activist with "Memorial", which has raised concerns about the state of the rule of law in Russia and in particular in Chechnya. Natalia Estemirova was involved in investigating human rights abuses by militias alleged to be backed by the government in Chechnya and is one of a number of human rights activists investigating human rights abuses in Chechnya who have been threatened with violence or killed, allegedly as a result of their work.
Russia, HSBC and Hermitage Fund, 24 July 2009
The Law Society is deeply concerned by a recent series of incidents involving lawyers in Russia which have raised our concern as to state of the rule of law in Russia. Some of the lawyers involved are acting representatives of Hermitage Fund. We have recently received reports of harassment against Hermitage Fund lawyers. Mr Sergey Magnitskiy, was arrested following a search of his home and office. Prior to his arrest, Mr Magnitskiy had apparently given witness statements alleging the complicity of Interior Ministry officials in the alleged frauds against HSBC and Hermitage. It is also alleged that the Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case against another independent lawyer representing HSBC and Hermitage Fund, Mr Eduard Khayretdinov.
Vietnam, 17 June 2009
Le Cong Dinh, a Vietnamese lawyer was arrested on 13 June 2009 under Penal Code Article 88 because of material he chose to distribute. Mr Dinh is a well known human rights lawyer who has represented other lawyers and democracy activists in the past.
Mexico, 5 June 2009
The Law Society expressed its concern after threats to the safety of lawyers working at the Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre (the “THR Centre”). On 18 March 2009, the THR Centre announced a temporary closure of their office in Guerrero due to threats against members of the organisation. Human rights groups have said that the reason for these threats is the THR Centre’s work in providing legal advice and support to the families of the leaders of various indigenous organisations.
Fiji, 14 May 2009
The Law Society of England & Wales and the Bar Council are urging Fiji’s interim government not to impose its planned regulatory reforms on the legal profession and to restore the rule of law following the dismissal of the entire judiciary in April this year.
USA, Guantanamo 12 May 2009
The Law Society, the Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association, the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association and the Bar Human Rights Committee have today called on the Attorney General of the United States of America to take urgent action in cases where those detained in Guantánamo Bay were captured as juveniles. These concerns are set out in a letter sent this week to the US Attorney General, Eric Holder.
Colombia, 1 April 2009
The Law Society has intervened in the cases of Mrs. Blanca Irene López and Mrs. Claudia Erazo, lawyers of the Corporación Juridica Yira Castro (CJYC), and Mr Rigoberto Jiménez of the Coordinación Nacional de Desplazados and Fabio Alberto Rivera, lawyer and legal advisor to the Association of University Professors.
All of them have received death threats from a paramilitary group called the Aquilas Negras. The letter calls on the Colombian government to take steps to protect them.
The Law Society has also written to the Colombian government as a follow-up to the delegation of lawyers, supported by the Law Society, which visited Colombia in August 2008.
The delegation met with Colombian officials who agreed to various proposals to safeguard the work of human rights lawyers. This included the setting up a special unit looking at the progress of cases involving lawyers’ deaths with regular meetings with lawyers' organisations.
The Law Society's most recent letter calls for urgent progress to be made to implement these proposals.
Pakistan, 27 March 2009
The Law Society has expressed its delight and satisfaction at the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other senior judges to their posts in Pakistan.
President Paul Marsh said, "Solicitors in England and Wales have wholeheartedly supported the lawyers' movement in Pakistan since 2007 when the Chief Justice was deposed by General Musharraf. We have been proud to stand with them as they fought fearlessly for an independent judiciary in their country. This is indeed a proud moment for the legal fraternity."
Read more and listen to the podcast.
Zimbabwe, 3 February 2009
The Law Society wrote to the Zimbabwean government concerning the abduction and unlawful detention of Jestina Mukoko, Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), and also the abductions of Broderick Takawira, a ZPP human rights activist, Pascal Gonzo, a ZPP driver and Zachariah Nkomo, the brother of a lawyer working on Mrs. Mukoko’s case. The Law Society strongly requested that these individuals be released and that their safety, as well as that of all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, be ensured. The intervention was researched and drafted by the pro bono International Action Team.
Good news: On 2 March 2009, Jestina was released on bail. Read more.
India, 19 Nov 2008
The Law Society has urged authorities in West Bengal, India, to investigate persistent police interaction with Mr Kirity Roy, an instrumental member of local NGO MASUM. Mr Roy has been the subject of police inquiries since organising a Tribunal constituting part of the National Project on Preventing Torture in India, an EU sanctioned program. The Law Society has requested that, in the absence of evidence that any criminal offence has been committed, Mr Roy be free to carry out his work unhindered.
IAT volunteers Yuvraj Joshi and Charlotte Dance worked on this intervention.
Sri Lanka, 17 Nov 2008
The Law Society has expressed its concern to the Sri Lankan government regarding the security of a human rights lawyer and member of Transparency International, J.C. Weliamuna. As part of his role, campaigning against government corruption, Mr Weliamuna has been involved in a number of sensitive cases involving the fundamental human rights of his clients. A request has been made for an investigation into the recent grenade attack on the home of Mr Weliamuna, and that the results of any investigation be made public.
IAT volunteers Christopher Connors and Michael Thompson worked on this intervention.
USA, 12 Sept 2008 - Longest serving US Death Row Prisoner executed after 34 years
The Law Society and other organisations intervened to secure a stay of execution for Jack Alderman, who had been on death row in Georgia since 1975. Read Law Society press release here. Read Law Society intervention letter here.
Sadly, Alderman had his final application for clemency turned down and was executed in the early hours of 17 September 2008.
Law Society President, Paul Marsh, is quoted by Times legal editor Frances Gibb in her column on the subject. Marsh stresses that the profession was “deeply concerned” about the move to execute Alderman, saying that after 34 years on death row it would amount to “cruel and unusual punishment.” Read the Times article here.
The Telegraph’s Joshua Rozenberg also reports on the efforts of the Law Society and other organisations to secure the stay of execution. Read the Telegraph's article here.
USA, 4 August 2008
The Law Society expressed its concern for Jose Medellin, a Mexican citizen who was executed by lethal injection on 6th August 2008. Following his arrest in 1993 Mr Medellin was never advised by Texas authorities of his right as a detained foreign national to seek consular assistance as required under article 36 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR).
As a result Mr Medellin was denied access to the assistance that Mexico provides for the defence of its citizens facing capital charges in the USA. We understand that the Mexican Consulate only learnt of the case almost four years after Mr Medellin's arrest when his trial and initial appeal had concluded. We received credible reports that there were also fundamental flaws in both the provision of his lead court-appointed lawyer and in his legal representation which further undermined his right to a fair trail.
IAT volunteers Tony Daly, Faye Goddard and Ilona Marchant assisted with this intervention
USA, 22 July 2008
The Law Society intervened on behalf of Dale Leo Bishop who was executed on 23 July 2008. The Law Society was concerned because although he was involved in the crime, Mr. Bishop was not the man who actually killed the victim.
There were also failings in his trial and post-conviction legal representation. We are informed that Mr. Bishop’s trial lawyers missed the major fact that he suffers from serious mental illness, thus allowing him to waive his right to a sentencing jury in spite of the adverse affect that his illness has on his capacity to make rational decisions.
IAT volunteer Rishi Verma assisted with this intervention.
India, 21 July 2008
Law Society expresses its concerns about an armed attack on the home of well-known human rights lawyer, Mr. Parvez Imroz. For many years, he has been documenting abuses and filing court cases to address the widespread problem of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Kashmir. We have received reports that he has been threatened for expressing his opinions and for carrying out his legitimate work as a lawyer.
IAT volunteer Daniel Fluskey assisted with this intervention.
Iran, 21 July 2008
Law Society intervenes on behalf of 4 youths due to be executed for crimes committed when they were children. The Law Society, urged Iran to commute the death sentences of Behnoud Shojaee, Salah Taseb and Saeed Jazee or grant them retrials. We also requested that Mohammad Feda’i receives proper representation and fair trial guarantees and that the death penalty is not sought in his retrial.
IAT volunteers Rishi Verma, Jonny Butterworth, Sonalini Gunasekera, Josée Filion, Suzanne Gower assisted with this intervention.
China, 11 July 2008:
The Law Society has again written to the Chinese authorities to express concern about the trial, sentencing and ongoing detention of blind lawyer, Mr Chen Guangcheng. Chen assisted villagers in legal action taken against Linyi City Authorities for carrying out forced abortions and sterilisations. He was later sentenced to over four years for public order offences. We continue to receive credible reports that the reason for his conviction and resulting sentence is his legitimate work as a lawyer, and that he has been granted insufficient access to a lawyer to prepare an appeal.
IAT volunteer Alexandra Janus assisted with this intervention. (See also a copy of a previous intervention on behalf of the same lawyer in July 2007)
Malaysia, 19 June 2008:
On 13 December 2007, Malaysian authorities arrested 4 laywers and one human rights defender on grounds of sedition under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA).
It is reported that the men have not yet been formally charged and remain in indefinite detention under the Internal Security Act.
It is also reported that one of the men is diabetic and has not been receiving the proper medical care for his condition.
IAT volunteers Jane Toplis, Juliya Salkovskaya and Daniel Fluskey assisted with this intervention.
USA, 18 June 2008:
James Earl Reed is was executed on 20 June 2008. Reed’s execution date was scheduled because he had waived his rights to an appeal.
It had been reported that he has an IQ of 77. This is on the borderline of what it typically considered the cutoff IQ score for the intellectual function prong of the definition of mental retardation.
Mr. Reed was allowed to represent himself at his original trial despite his mental impairment.
Mr. Reed had been imprisoned on death row for 12 years.
IAT volunteer Jonny Butterworth assisted with this intervention.
USA, 2 June 2008:
British citizen denied clemency despite joint intervention
The Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Human Rights Committee jointly campaigned for clemency on behalf of Krishna Maharaj, a UK national convicted of murder in 1987 in Florida, USA. Despite evidence of judicial impropriety, ineffective legal advice and serious procedural irregularities, Krishna Maharaj’s application for clemency was denied earlier this month by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, thus exhausting all available legal remedies.
Daniel Fluskey assisted with Krishna Maharaj’s Intervention
Other notable interventions:
Law Society calls for reinstatement of Pakistan's judges, 10 June 2008:
The Law Society of England and Wales has repeated its declaration of support for lawyers and judges in Pakistan who are demanding the return of judges sacked by President Musharraf. Pakistan's lawyers are embarking on a 'long march' to demand the reinstatement of the country's senior judges.
Read more
USA, 14 February - Guantanamo Bay:
The Law Society, together with bar associations and law societies around the world, has called for the immediate closure of the US prison facility at Guantanamo Bay.
Thirty four international organisations have signed a joint letter to the US president and the Canadian prime minister to express their condemnation of the situation in Guantanamo Bay, while at the same time recognising the ongoing worldwide threat of terrorism.
Read the letter to the US president and Canadian prime minister