🌍 Around the world, environmental lawyers defend communities from land grabs, pollution & climate degradation — and face serious threats for doing so. 🎬 Watch our new Environmental Lawyers Campaign video: youtube.com/watch?v=AnCm2hS0… #EnvironmentalJustice #L4L #humanrights

📢 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝘀 𝗨𝗦 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 Lawyers for Lawyers joins 16 other international legal organisations in strongly condemning the latest US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (#ICC), announced on 9 October 2026. The sanctions, which now target the 𝗜𝗖𝗖 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, mark a significant escalation in the pressure on international justice. Since February 2025, US sanctions have already targeted ICC judges, prosecutors, staff members and civil society organisations engaging with the Court. ⚖️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. They risk undermining ongoing investigations and trials, witness protection,  victims’ rights to justice and reparation, and accountability for the most serious crimes. In our joint statement, we call on the US administration to withdraw all sanctions and urge States Parties to the Rome Statute to take effective measures to 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗖𝗖’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲. At a time of increasing pressure on international law and its institutions, we must stand united in defending judicial independence and the rule of law. 🔗 Read the full statement: tinyurl.com/5d25mur9 #Ruleoflaw #JudicialIndependence #InternationalJustice #HumanRights #RomeStatute

🚨#Tanzania: Standing with TLS President Boniface Mwabukusi and the independence of the legal profession We join @LawyersofAfrica, @ealawsociety, @IBAHRI, and @SadcLawyers in expressing solidarity with TLS President Boniface Mwabukusi and raising concerns over disciplinary proceedings that seek his permanent removal from the Roll of Advocates for statements made on behalf of the Tanganyika Law Society. This case raises fundamental questions about whether lawyers and bar associations can speak publicly on matters relating to human rights, the administration of justice and the rule of law without fear of professional reprisals. We call for: 🔹Respect for the High Court's stay of the proceedings; 🔹Protection of the independence of lawyers and bar associations; 🔹An independent and impartial disciplinary framework for lawyers in Tanzania; and 🔹The withdrawal or dismissal of the application against Mwabukusi. The independence of the legal profession is essential to the protection of human rights and the rule of law. 🔗Read the full joint solidarity letter: lawyersforlawyers.org/law-or… #Tanzania #Solidarity #RuleOfLaw #HumanRights #LegalProfession

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗶𝘀𝗵 l𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘇𝗶𝗻 𝗨ç𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Representatives of L4L attended the hearing of 𝗦𝗲𝘇𝗶𝗻 𝗨ç𝗮𝗿. We welcome this outcome and will continue to monitor the situation in Türkiye.

🏆 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗿𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘃 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 We are delighted to congratulate Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh on receiving the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The prize, awarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in partnership with the Charta 77 Foundation, honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights. Nasrin has spent decades defending human rights in Iran, representing activists, journalists, minorities and children facing execution, and advocating for freedom and justice despite repeated arrests, imprisonment and immense personal risk. Earlier this year, we called for intervention concerning the renewed arrest of Nasrin Sotoudeh and observed that, for well over a decade, she has been subjected to repeated arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, travel restrictions, professional sanctions and other forms of judicial harassment in apparent retaliation for the legitimate exercise of her profession and her peaceful defence of fundamental rights. At Lawyers for Lawyers, we have followed and supported Nasrin’s work for many years, including through our #FreeTheLawyers Campaign. Having followed her work for many years, we are very glad to see it recognised in this way, and grateful to have been able to support this alongside our partners @TheLawSociety, @IBAHRI, @ProtectLawyers, @CSHRIran, @ICHRI, @omctorg, and @IHRDC A heartfelt congratulations to Nasrin, and to her daughter Mehraveh Khandan Heris, who accepted the award on her behalf in Strasbourg. This recognition is also a reminder that many lawyers in Iran continue to face harassment, prosecution and imprisonment for their work and that continued advocacy and monitoring are needed. 🔗 Read more, and view the award presentation on our website: lawyersforlawyers.org/nasrin… 🔗View our statement of April 2026 here: lawyersforlawyers.org/open-l… #NasrinSotoudeh #václavhavelprize #humanrights #iran #DefendTheDefenders

🚨#Tajikistan: 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘇𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘃: 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 Today, 28 September 2026, marks the eleventh anniversary of the detention of Buzurgmehr Yorov by the Tajik authorities. He is serving a 23-year sentence in retaliation for representing political opposition figures and speaking out about allegations of torture. 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲, 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘃 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱: 🔹 politically motivated criminal charges linked to his work as a lawyer; 🔹 repeated violations of his fair trial rights, including restrictions on his ability to communicate with counsel and present his defence; 🔹 torture, ill-treatment and periods of incommunicado detention. His case is not an isolated one. It reflects a broader pattern of intimidation and prosecution of lawyers in Tajikistan, where legal professionals representing opposition figures and other politically sensitive clients increasingly face harassment, criminal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗷𝗶𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼: 🔹 immediately quash Yorov's conviction and release him; 🔹 release all lawyers and other individuals arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising their human rights; 🔹 end the misuse of extremism and other politically motivated charges against lawyers; and 🔹 guarantee the independence and safety of the legal profession in accordance with international standards. 🔗Read the full statement: lawyersforlawyers.org/free-b… #defendthedefenders #lawyers #ruleoflaw #humanrights

📣At #HRC63, join our side event "𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝗹𝗲." Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, lawyers defending political prisoners, journalists and anti-war voices have faced growing pressure, including disbarment, criminal prosecution, surveillance and intimidation. Hear directly from Russian lawyers and #UN Special Rapporteur @KatzarovaM as we explore how lawyers at risk can be better protected, and what these developments mean for fair trial rights, access to justice and the independence of the legal profession. 🗓️ 23 September, 13:00–14:00 CEST 📍 Room IX, Palais des Nations, Geneva 🗣️ English & Russian (simultaneous interpretation) 💻 To join remotely via Webex, please contact [email protected] The event is organised by Lawyers for Lawyers, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF), International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Law Society of England and Wales, and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC). It is co‑sponsored by the @ABAHumanRights, @OrdreAvocatsGE, @DAVbxl, and @UnionIntAvocats, and supported by @BelgiumUNGeneva, @EU_UNGeneva, @FinlandUN, @FranceONUGeneve, @GermanyUNGeneva, @CanadaGeneva, @EstoniaGeneva, and @nlingeneva #HumanRights #RuleOfLaw #AccessToJustice #Lawyers #UN #Unitednations